Latest news with #Renault
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
I drove the Renault 5 E-Tech. This chic French EV has one silly feature you'll never find on a Tesla.
The Renault 5 E-Tech is an electric reincarnation of a legendary, hugely popular French car. It's the European car of the year and has proved popular with buyers on the continent. I loved its quirky touches — it's the only car I've ever driven that comes with a baguette holder. It's the accessory you didn't know you needed: a baguette holder. Yes, the Renault 5 E-Tech has just such a feature in the passenger footwell — a gimmick, of course, but a brilliantly quirky touch nonetheless that reminds you you're driving a French voiture. I was going to include a picture of an empty baguette holder, but then I found this one from the car's launch showing Olympic gold medal-winning British diver Tom Daley with an actual baguette in the holder instead. You could also use the holder for a bunch of flowers, should you be so inclined. As you might have guessed from the E, the revived 5 is indeed electric, and there is no gas equivalent. It came about after now-departing CEO Luca de Meo rashly promised in a speech that Renault could make a new car in just 24 months — a very tight timeline in the auto world — and managed to do so only a few weeks past that target. The 5 made its debut way back in 1972 and was an instant hit, becoming the best-selling car in France for 14 years, with about 5.5 million vehicles sold during that period. While it was available in the US in the late 1970s, as Le Car, it didn't exactly bewitch American drivers. Souped-up versions appealed to boy racers, and a turbo model won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1981. The new 5 is Europe's car of the year 2025, beating the Alfa Romeo Junior, Citroën C3-ëC3, Cupra Terramar, Dacia Duster, Hyundai Inster and Kia EV3. It was back-to-back wins for Renault, after the Scenic — a small MPV — took the crown last year. To find out why the 5 won, I took a train on a very warm Friday afternoon earlier this month to the northern edge of London to pick up an R5. It had a 52kWh battery, 150 HP engine, and came in vibrant "Pop! Green." Buying this car would set you back a shade under £27,000 ($36,300), and has a decent WLTP range of 251 miles. This configuration represents the best value for money, according to What Car? The range starts at about £23,000. I hit the M40 motorway bound for the picturesque town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. I was able to do the speed limit of 70 miles an hour for most of the journey and got there in about two hours. As I failed to connect my iPhone to the audio system before setting off, I tuned into the top 40 singles countdown on BBC Radio 1 —Sabrina Carpenter ended Alex Warren's 12-week run at the top of the chart, by the way. The audio system sounds superb — and was apparently created by Jean-Michel Jarre, the legendary French electronic music artist. For a small-ish EV, the 5 packs a punch, doing the speed limit effortlessly with plenty in reserve, had I wanted to risk a speeding fine. I can't say it's the quietest car I've ever driven, but I can't fault the ride and handling. As well as the baguette holder, there are plenty of charming/weird touches, such as the "5" battery indicator on the hood that lights up. It's part of the car's "modern lighting signature with cheeky welcome and goodbye sequences," as Renault puts it. The 5 is a lot of fun to drive — more than the quite boring MG I tested earlier this year. Not everyone may love its many quirks, such as the fabric on the dashboard and ceiling, and I found the four—yes, four—control stalks plus controls on the steering wheel to be quite bewildering. Maybe I'm just easily confused, but I still failed to master the automatic transmission before having to give the car back. And I still have no idea what the "Multi-Sense" button does. I had about 50% left and didn't want to risk running out of charge on the trip back to London, so I found a charging station in a fairly dismal retail park in Banbury. This was actually the first time I've charged an EV, and it took me a minute to work out the right plug (yes, I am a slow learner). Fortunately I didn't have to create an account to use the charger and could just tap my credit card to release the power. Getting the charge up to about 80% took about 15 minutes and cost just over £15 (about $20). Public chargers are not that cheap in the UK, and had the car been close to flat, it would've set me back about £50 (almost $70) to reach 100% — not too much less than a tank of gas. If you don't have a garage or driveway, the economics of an EV become considerably more complicated, which is one reason hybrids are becoming increasingly popular. In April, the 5 E-Tech was the UK's best-selling EV for retail buyers. In both April and May, it helped Renault take the top spot for private registrations of pure EVs. According to Renault, the car also leads its segment in Europe. Car Dealer magazine also made the 5 its car of the year, calling it the "right car at the right time." "The Renault 5 has both added some much-needed excitement to the lower end of the electric car market, and given Renault dealers some fire in their bellies. This small car is delivering a huge impact," says editor in chief James Baggott. I'm inclined to agree. And you know what's coming now, don't you, American readers? It appears Renault has no plans to bring the 5 E-Tech to the US. Désolé. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
5 hours ago
- Automotive
- Business Insider
I drove the Renault 5 E-Tech. This chic French EV has one silly feature you'll never find on a Tesla.
The Renault 5 E-Tech is an electric reincarnation of a legendary, hugely popular French car. It's the European car of the year and has proved popular with buyers on the continent. I loved its quirky touches — it's the only car I've ever driven that comes with a baguette holder. It's the accessory you didn't know you needed: a baguette holder. Yes, the Renault 5 E-Tech has just such a feature in the passenger footwell — a gimmick, of course, but a brilliantly quirky touch nonetheless that reminds you you're driving a French voiture. I was going to include a picture of an empty baguette holder, but then I found this one from the car's launch showing Olympic gold medal-winning British diver Tom Daley with an actual baguette in the holder instead. You could also use the holder for a bunch of flowers, should you be so inclined. As you might have guessed from the E, the revived 5 is indeed electric, and there is no gas equivalent. It came about after now-departing CEO Luca de Meo rashly promised in a speech that Renault could make a new car in just 24 months — a very tight timeline in the auto world — and managed to do so only a few weeks past that target. The 5 made its debut way back in 1972 and was an instant hit, becoming the best-selling car in France for 14 years, with about 5.5 million vehicles sold during that period. While it was available in the US in the late 1970s, as Le Car, it didn't exactly bewitch American drivers. Souped-up versions appealed to boy racers, and a turbo model won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1981. The new 5 is Europe's car of the year 2025, beating the Alfa Romeo Junior, Citroën C3-ëC3, Cupra Terramar, Dacia Duster, Hyundai Inster and Kia EV3. It was back-to-back wins for Renault, after the Scenic — a small MPV — took the crown last year. To find out why the 5 won, I took a train on a very warm Friday afternoon earlier this month to the northern edge of London to pick up an R5. It had a 52kWh battery, 150 HP engine, and came in vibrant "Pop! Green." Buying this car would set you back a shade under £27,000 ($36,300), and has a decent WLTP range of 251 miles. This configuration represents the best value for money, according to What Car? The range starts at about £23,000. I hit the M40 motorway bound for the picturesque town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. I was able to do the speed limit of 70 miles an hour for most of the journey and got there in about two hours. As I failed to connect my iPhone to the audio system before setting off, I tuned into the top 40 singles countdown on BBC Radio 1 — Sabrina Carpenter ended Alex Warren's 12-week run at the top of the chart, by the way. The audio system sounds superb — and was apparently created by Jean-Michel Jarre, the legendary French electronic music artist. For a small-ish EV, the 5 packs a punch, doing the speed limit effortlessly with plenty in reserve, had I wanted to risk a speeding fine. I can't say it's the quietest car I've ever driven, but I can't fault the ride and handling. As well as the baguette holder, there are plenty of charming/weird touches, such as the "5" battery indicator on the hood that lights up. It's part of the car's "modern lighting signature with cheeky welcome and goodbye sequences," as Renault puts it. The 5 is a lot of fun to drive — more than the quite boring MG I tested earlier this year. Not everyone may love its many quirks, such as the fabric on the dashboard and ceiling, and I found the four—yes, four—control stalks plus controls on the steering wheel to be quite bewildering. Maybe I'm just easily confused, but I still failed to master the automatic transmission before having to give the car back. And I still have no idea what the "Multi-Sense" button does. I had about 50% left and didn't want to risk running out of charge on the trip back to London, so I found a charging station in a fairly dismal retail park in Banbury. This was actually the first time I've charged an EV, and it took me a minute to work out the right plug (yes, I am a slow learner). Fortunately I didn't have to create an account to use the charger and could just tap my credit card to release the power. Getting the charge up to about 80% took about 15 minutes and cost just over £15 (about $20). Public chargers are not that cheap in the UK, and had the car been close to flat, it would've set me back about £50 (almost $70) to reach 100% — not too much less than a tank of gas. If you don't have a garage or driveway, the economics of an EV become considerably more complicated, which is one reason hybrids are becoming increasingly popular. In April, the 5 E-Tech was the UK's best-selling EV for retail buyers. In both April and May, it helped Renault take the top spot for private registrations of pure EVs. According to Renault, the car also leads its segment in Europe. Car Dealer magazine also made the 5 its car of the year, calling it the "right car at the right time." "The Renault 5 has both added some much-needed excitement to the lower end of the electric car market, and given Renault dealers some fire in their bellies. This small car is delivering a huge impact," says editor in chief James Baggott. I'm inclined to agree. And you know what's coming now, don't you, American readers? It appears Renault has no plans to bring the 5 E-Tech to the US. Désolé.
Motor Trend
21 hours ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
New Apple CarPlay Ultra iPhone Integration Proving Controversial With Automakers
Apple CarPlay phone integration has become indispensable for millions of drivers, and the tech giant is hoping that CarPlay Ultra, which expands CarPlay's territory from the touchscreen to the car's instrument cluster and allows control over core functions like air conditioning, will become its next big thing. Initially it was looking that way, with Apple touting a list of over a dozen automakers that had signed up to include the Ultra software on their cars. Now that the system is finally rolling out to customers, there are reports that automakers are balking at CarPlay Ultra and opting to stick with the standard version instead. Apple's CarPlay Ultra is facing resistance from automakers like Audi, Volvo, and Renault, who prefer control over their infotainment systems and data. While some brands like Hyundai plan to adopt it, others remain undecided or silent. Aston Martin is currently the only user of CarPlay Ultra. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next We suspected this would be a problem, and a report by the Financial Times confirms it: automakers don't want to give up the creative control to design and implement infotainment features on their own, nor are eager to give a third-party—Apple—valuable data on both its customers driving habits and its vehicle systems integrations. One unnamed executive at Renault (one of the automakers touted by Apple as featuring CarPlay Ultra) is said by FT to have told Apple, 'Don't try to invade our own systems.' Of the 18 automakers that had previously been linked to Apple CarPlay, FT reports that Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Polestar, and Renault are opting out of including the system on their future cars. Volvo confirmed to us FT 's reporting, while Polestar said the brand had 'nothing to announce' with regards to its use of CarPlay Ultra. An Audi spokesperson went further, telling us, 'While we continue to offer traditional CarPlay on our vehicles, we have chosen not to integrate Apple CarPlay Ultra into our current portfolio of cars as we have just introduced our all-new MMI interface in our latest models: the Q6 e-tron, A5, Q5 and A6 e-tron model lines.' Both Volvo and Polestar have also heavily invested in their own infotainment systems. The other automakers who had been linked to CarPlay Ultra are Acura, Aston Martin, Ford, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia, Land Rover, Lincoln, Nissan, and Porsche. We reached out to each of them for comment on their CarPlay Ultra and general infotainment plans. Ford, Lincoln, Acura, Jaguar, and Land Rover spokespeople told us that their respective brands did not have any comment on the matter. The Hyundai Motor Group, which includes Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis told us that all three brands still intend to introduce Apple CarPlay Ultra in the future. Honda, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Porsche did not have any official comment as of press time. Porsche has told the FT that it still planned on supporting CarPlay Ultra in the future. Apple did not respond to our requests for comment. Tesla and Rivian currently don't offer CarPlay in any form on their vehicles, while GM is phasing it out in favor of a new operating system it built with Google. Aston Martin is currently the only automaker to offer CarPlay Ultra. In our review of the new system, we found the Apple gauges, climate and radio controls, and the addition of iPhone-like widgets to be among the system's best features. You can read our full review here.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
F1 star details talks with management as immediate departure rocks team
Luca de Meo's surprise departure as CEO of the Renault group has raised questions over Alpine's long-term future in Formula 1 and prompted Pierre Gasly to seek assurances about the project Pierre Gasly has admitted seeking assurances from Alpine management after the shock announcement of Luca de Meo's departure. The Italian announced after the Canadian Grand Prix that he would be stepping down immediately as chief executive of the Renault group. The French carmaker owns the Alpine team and De Meo was a huge advocate for its continued presence in F1. He was also the one who brought controversial former boss Flavio Briatore back into the fold last year to help make the outfit more competitive again. So his departure to become head of the Kering luxury goods company triggered some alarm bells about what it might mean for the future of the Alpine outfit. And Gasly admitted himself that he would be speaking to top bosses at the team to get a better sense of what was going on. Reporting back on what he heard, ahead of this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, the Frenchman seemed reassured about the future of the team which he leads on track. "It's something that was important to me," the 29-year-old said. "Since the Canadian GP, I've spoken to everyone on the phone, namely Luca and other people involved at the management level. I needed confirmation regarding the project I've been involved in since joining Alpine. These are normal conversations given the situation, but there are no concerns about what comes next. "I have the necessary answers, but you can understand that it's not something I can make public, I let the team go into more detail. For me, personally, it was important to have these conversations, they were very clear and everything is very clear in my head, which is the most important thing. READ MORE: Max Verstappen loses key F1 ally at Austrian GP for first time in Red Bull career "At Enstone, some people are asking questions and that's legitimate, but Flavio has already given answers and everyone knows where they stand, it doesn't change anything about the work to be done or the evolution of the team." It is another major shift at Alpine which has undergone many personnel changes in recent years. And it is also in the process of moving away from being a works team with its F1 engines operation being sunsetted, Renault having signed a deal to use Mercedes engines from next year. Perhaps with that in mind, Gasly remains confident about the team's chances in 2026 despite currently being the bottom side in the championship. He said: "We should be much more competitive. I'm closely following the development of the 2026 car and for the moment we're happy with what we're doing. We don't know where the others are, but we have a vague idea of what we think is acceptable and for the moment we're holding the course. "I'm pretty confident about what we've found. There are six months of development left, I hope that our difficult sporting situation and this tenth place in the Championship will give us an advantage in terms of wind tunnel hours and that we can use this advantage as best as possible to arrive at the first 2026 tests with a car that should be in a good window."
CNA
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Gasly jokes he might head for Hollywood if Alpine stay last
SPIELBERG, Austria :French Formula One driver Pierre Gasly responded to Brad Pitt praising his acting potential by joking he might have to head for Hollywood if Alpine stayed last in the championship. Pitt, star of the movie 'F1' released this week, was asked at a recent New York premiere which drivers might have a future in Hollywood. "I'm going to give Carlos Sainz, he's definite, I'm going to say Pierre Gasly. Yes, I think he's got a feel for it," he told ABC television. "And of course Lewis (Hamilton) can do anything." Gasly told reporters at the Austrian Grand Prix that Pitt's comments had delighted his mother. "I must say it clearly made my mom pretty happy. She was very pleased to be the first one in the family group chat to send it to all the family," he said. "So yeah, let's see how the season goes, but hopefully we score a few more points. Otherwise, you might see me in Hollywood." Gasly, who has so far scored all of Alpine's 11 points with the team in some turmoil after the departure of principal Oliver Oakes and resignation of Renault boss Luca de Meo, said he had no acting past. "I think it's just the French side of me. I can play a French lover or something like that," he said.
