Renault 5 E-Tech 2027 update: more range, still from £21,495
Renault has added range and new tech to the 5 without touching the price. The catch: a Hyundai Ioniq 3 now offers more claimed miles for less money, so the value case has shifted.
Quick answers
- UK orders for the 2027 model-year Renault 5 E-Tech opened in September 2026, with prices unchanged from £21,495 on the road including the £3,750 Electric Car Grant.
- Claimed WLTP range rises from 252 to 259 miles on the 52kWh Comfort Range and from 192 to 197 miles on the 40kWh Urban Range.
- The update adds SmartMode, Qi2 wireless phone charging and Google Gemini voice control, which Renault will deliver as an over-the-air download.
- The 52kWh versions run from £23,945 for techno+ to £26,945 for roland garros+, all on the road with the full grant applied.
- A Hyundai Ioniq 3 Advance 61kWh costs £21,995 after the grant with up to 308 miles WLTP: £1,950 less than a Renault 5 techno+ and 49 more claimed miles.
Renault has opened UK orders for the 2027 model-year Renault 5 E-Tech and left the prices alone, so the electric supermini still starts at £21,495 on the road with the £3,750 Electric Car Grant applied. The update lifts the claimed range of the 52kWh Comfort Range car to 259 miles WLTP and adds new driving and voice technology. A price freeze matters for UK buyers because the Renault 5 now faces a cheaper Hyundai Ioniq 3 that claims more miles.
Orders opened in late September, with electrive reporting the news on 24 September 2026 and PistonHeads confirming the MY27 car is on sale. Renault UK bills it as more range, more tech and more choice. In practice the changes are modest: small efficiency gains, three technology features and a couple of new paint colours on a car UK buyers already know well.
What has changed on the 2027 Renault 5?
The headline change is range. Renault credits aerodynamic changes to the lower body and door mirrors, together with optimised battery electronics, for the improvement. Neither battery has grown.
| Version | Before the update | 2027 model year | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40kWh, 120hp Urban Range | Up to 192 miles | Up to 197 miles | 5 miles |
| 52kWh, 150hp Comfort Range | Up to 252 miles | Up to 259 miles | 7 miles |
| Starting price (on the road, after grant) | £21,495 | £21,495 | None |
Sources: Renault UK for the 2027 figures and The EV Report for the comparison with the outgoing car.
Both gains are under 3%, which you are unlikely to notice on a daily commute. On a long motorway run a few extra miles per charge is welcome, but it does not change what the car is for.
New technology
- SmartMode switches automatically between the Eco, Comfort and Sport driving modes.
- Qi2 wireless charging is added for compatible phones.
- Google Gemini voice control will arrive as an over-the-air download, working alongside the existing Google built-in system and promising more natural voice commands.
Colours and trim
New Flame Red and Shadow Grey paint colours join the range. Midnight Blue on techno+ and iconic five+ is now available with a red roofline, and iconic five+ gains new mottled blue upholstery.
How much does the updated Renault 5 cost?
The trim line-up is simple. The entry evolution is the only version with the smaller battery, while techno+, iconic five+ and roland garros+ all use the 52kWh, 150hp Comfort Range powertrain. All prices below are on the road with the full grant applied, as quoted by Renault UK and The EV Report.
| Trim | Battery and power | WLTP range | Price (OTR, after grant) |
|---|---|---|---|
| evolution | 40kWh, 120hp | Up to 197 miles | £21,495 |
| techno+ | 52kWh, 150hp | Up to 259 miles | £23,945 |
| iconic five+ | 52kWh, 150hp | Up to 259 miles | £25,945 |
| roland garros+ | 52kWh, 150hp | Up to 259 miles | £26,945 |
The £2,450 step from evolution to techno+ is the one to think hardest about. It buys 62 more miles of claimed range. On charging, Renault UK lists 80kW DC rapid charging for the evolution and 100kW for the roland garros+, and quotes a 15 to 80% charge in about 30 minutes on a charger rated at 100kW or more.
Does the Renault 5 still get the full £3,750 grant?
Yes. Renault UK says the car remains eligible for the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant, and electrive reports that both the £21,495 and £23,945 starting prices already include it. That is the higher Band 1 payment: Band 2 cars get £1,500.
The grant band now makes a real difference to small EV prices. Our guide to Electric Car Grant eligible models lists which cars get the full amount and which get the lower rate.
How does the Renault 5 compare with the Ioniq 3, Kia EV2 and VW ID.Polo?
Holding the price was the minimum Renault needed to do. The table sets the two Renault 5 batteries against their closest rivals, with all prices on the road and including whatever grant each car qualifies for.
| Model and version | Battery | WLTP range | Price (OTR) | Grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Ioniq 3 Advance | 42kWh | Up to 213 miles | £18,495 | £3,750 |
| Renault 5 evolution | 40kWh | Up to 197 miles | £21,495 | £3,750 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 3 Advance | 61kWh | Up to 308 miles | £21,995 | £3,750 |
| Renault 5 techno+ | 52kWh | Up to 259 miles | £23,945 | £3,750 |
| VW ID.Polo Life | 37kWh | Around 206 miles | £23,945 | None |
| Kia EV2 Air | 61kWh | Up to 275 miles | £24,245 | £3,750 (matching the grant) |
Sources: Hyundai UK, electrive for the Kia EV2 and Electric Cars Report for the VW ID.Polo.
The Hyundai Ioniq 3 is the problem for Renault. Its 42kWh Advance is £3,000 cheaper than the Renault 5 evolution and claims 16 more miles. Its 61kWh Advance costs £1,950 less than the Renault 5 techno+ and claims 49 more miles. Even after the update, the Renault 5 does not win on price or range against the Hyundai.
The picture is better against the Volkswagen. The entry VW ID.Polo Life costs exactly the same as a Renault 5 techno+, but it uses a smaller 37kWh battery and gets no grant: only 52kWh, 211PS versions qualify, and for £1,500. Against the Kia EV2 Air, whose £24,245 price includes a £3,750 reservation saving that Kia says mirrors the grant, the techno+ is £300 cheaper with 22 fewer claimed miles, which is close to a draw.
What this means for you
If you already have an order in for a Renault 5, ask your dealer whether it will be built as a 2027 model-year car. Prices are the same, so the newer version gives you a few more miles, SmartMode and Qi2 charging for nothing. If your car is outgoing stock, it is reasonable to ask what the dealer will do on price to make up the difference.
If you are choosing between small electric cars from scratch, the Renault 5 is no longer the obvious value pick. The Ioniq 3 offers more claimed range for less money at both battery sizes, and that is hard to argue with on paper. The Renault 5 still has things in its favour: a design many buyers want for its own sake, and the lowest average premium of any EV in MoneySuperMarket’s insurance index, at £417.64 a year, as we covered in our report on the cheapest EV to insure.
Our view: buy the techno+ rather than the evolution, because 62 more claimed miles for £2,450 makes the 52kWh car a more useful only car for the money. If most of your driving is in town and you want to spend less, Renault says its Twingo E-Tech will start under £20,000 with up to 163 miles. Either way, we would drive the Renault 5 and the Ioniq 3 back to back before signing.
How we test and where our numbers come from
Range figures are official WLTP combined values taken from manufacturer UK specification pages, with real-world estimates drawn from independent comparative testing. Prices are UK list prices at the time of the latest update. Tax, grant and charging-scheme figures come from GOV.UK and HMRC publications. We re-check every guide when pricing, specification or policy changes. Last checked 6 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the 2027 Renault 5 E-Tech in the UK?
The 2027 model-year Renault 5 starts at £21,495 on the road for the 40kWh evolution, with the £3,750 Electric Car Grant applied. The 52kWh versions cost £23,945 for techno+, £25,945 for iconic five+ and £26,945 for roland garros+.
What range does the updated Renault 5 have?
Renault quotes up to 259 miles WLTP for the 52kWh, 150hp Comfort Range, up from 252 miles. The 40kWh, 120hp Urban Range is rated at up to 197 miles, up from 192 miles.
Does the Renault 5 qualify for the full Electric Car Grant?
Yes. Renault says the Renault 5 remains eligible for the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant, and its quoted UK prices already have the grant deducted.
What is new on the 2027 Renault 5?
The update brings SmartMode, which switches automatically between Eco, Comfort and Sport, plus Qi2 wireless phone charging and Google Gemini voice control as an over-the-air download. There are also new Flame Red and Shadow Grey paint colours.
Is the Renault 5 better value than the Hyundai Ioniq 3?
On price and claimed range, no. The Ioniq 3 Advance 61kWh costs £21,995 after the grant with up to 308 miles, against £23,945 and 259 miles for the Renault 5 techno+.
Sources and further reading
- press.renault.co.ukRenault UKPrimary source referenced in this article.
- electrive.comUK orders open for updated Renault 5 E-TechUK order opening reported on 24 September 2026 and prices for the 40kWh and 52kWh versions including the grant.
- theevreport.comRenault 5 E-Tech MY27 Adds Range, Keeps PriceRange before and after the update and trim prices for techno+, iconic five+ and roland garros+.
- pistonheads.comOrders open now for MY27 Renault 5 E-TechIndependent report that UK orders for the MY27 car are open.
- renault.co.ukR5 E-Tech electric: driving range and chargingDC charging power by version and the 15 to 80% rapid charge time.
- hyundai.newsAll-New Hyundai IONIQ 3 Opens for UK Orders with £3,750 Electric Car GrantIoniq 3 prices after the grant and WLTP ranges used in the rival comparison.
- electrive.comKia EV2 priced from £24,245 in UKKia EV2 Air 61kWh price after the £3,750 saving and its 275-mile WLTP range.
- electriccarsreport.comVolkswagen ID. Polo Debuts in the UK with Prices Starting from £23,945VW ID.Polo starting price, 281-mile maximum range and £1,500 grant on 52kWh, 211PS versions only.
EV Compared
The EV Compared editorial team tracks the UK electric vehicle market full time: new model launches, list prices, WLTP and real-world range, public charging tariffs and the tax rules that decide what an EV actually costs to run. Every guide is checked against manufacturer specifications and official GOV.UK figures, and updated whenever the numbers move.
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