For years, private buyers have shunned the electric car. The reasons are well-worn: concerns about range, charging times (and convenience), and scepticism over their environmental impact. But let’s be frank – the biggest obstacle has been the wallet. EVs depreciate faster than a social media platform purchased by Elon Musk.

EVs have been, for the most part, catnip for company car buyers exploiting benefit-in-kind loopholes. But here’s my take – 2025 will change all that. And it’s all because of one car: the Renault 5.

Why? It’s simple – the Renault 5 just has it. It’s the first genuinely desirable electric car that’s not only keenly priced but achieves true parity with its ICE predecessor, the Clio. It’s aspirational and attainable: the starting price of the 5 is £22,995, or given the PCP-driven world we live in, £249/month with a £3,545 deposit. Better yet, putting a fatter 30 percent deposit down unlocks the 0% APR option. With no deposit, the Renault 5 will set you back £324/month at 5.5%. This significantly undercuts EV supermini rivals such as the Fiat 500 Electric and Mini Cooper E.

New Renault 5 interior

Not only that, early reports are suggesting the 5 outclasses both in terms of driving dynamics too. The car’s interior also scores points, feeling instantly familiar thanks to Renault bucking the trend for giant touchscreen fascias and haptic controls. Yet, ultimately, the Renault 5’s greatest strength lies in its styling, not its powertrain. It would sell if it were powered by internal combustion. It makes a statement without being try-hard. It looks premium but refreshingly unpretentious. Nostalgic but not kitsch. Everything points to the 5 being a home-run for Renault – ironically mirroring the impact of BMW’s revival of the Mini and Fiat’s resurrection of the 500.

On top of this, I also predict the halo model of the 5 will succeed where Fiat has failed with the Abarth 500 Electric, turning hot hatch enthusiasts onto EV propulsion. Renault will also leverage badge engineering with the Alpine A290, but the 5’s trump card is its ultimate halo model – a 500bhp, rear-wheel-drive superhatch that evokes a cyberpunk-infused Group B car. Despite the rumoured £100,000 entry point, chins have been wagging relentlessly – even those belonging to internal combustion die-hards.

The buying public wants to embrace electric cars. They make more sense as daily transport. They’re quieter, more comfortable, and have instant torque. They’re simpler and thus easier to maintain – there is no danger of clogged DPF filters or cold start abuse, no oil to top up. I admit charging remains a bugbear for those without a driveway, but the infrastructure is steadily catching up. Range anxiety is also being addressed. The larger 52kWh battery of the Renault 5 E-tech Techno (£26,995) offers a claimed 248 miles, a distance a handful of years ago that required a BEV three times the price to travel.

I realise this is a contrarian view. Buyer confidence in new cars is at rock bottom, and it’s hard to blame them. Governments keep turncoating on ICE cancellation regulations, and legacy manufacturers are now rolling back EV plans in the wake of China pulling the rug from beneath them. At the moment, the tide is turning against EVs, and when confidence is low, people revert to type, which in this case is a car powered by internal combustion. However once the Renault 5 hits the road, heads will turn, and so will opinions.