Renault 5, new Car of the Year in Europe: the electric car triumphs among critics while stagnating among the public

It had been almost 30 years since the same brand had won the European Car of the Year for two years in a row. This is what Renault has just achieved, with its Five has once again been the brand that has obtained the most votes in this annual contest.

The award is shared with the Alpine A290, the sportiest version of the little Frenchman, and maintains the throne for a company that last year already managed to be the one that gained the most votes with the Renault Scenic in its definitive jump to the electric car.

Since the Fiat Punto and the Fiat Bravo won the 1995 and 1996 awards, the same brand could not place two of its models at the top in consecutive years.

Renault’s all or nothing

In the award, the Renault 5 and the Alpine A290 have far surpassed their rivals, adding 353 votes to the 291 points of the Kia EV3 (second placed) and the 215 of the Citroën C3 and ë-C3. The votes for the seven nominees in the final vote have been distributed as follows:

1. Renault 5 and Alpine A290: 353 points
2. Kia Ev3: 291 points
3. Citroën C3 and ë-C3: 215 points
4. Hyundai Inster: 172 points
5. Dacia Duster: 168 points
6. Cupra Terramar: 165 points
7. Alfa Romeo Junior: 136 points

The award to the Renault 5 and the Alpine A290 can also be read as an award to the flag that the French have taken with the electric car. Both the Renault Scenic and the Renault 5 are very interesting electric carswith a family audience the first and a very urban audience the second. The latter can be used as the only vehicle at home if we are clear that we only make one or two long trips a year and we are willing to accept significantly longer travel times on those days.

What is clear is that Renault’s commitment to the electric car is being liked and is being supported by experts. The company seems to have taken the lead in a market that is experiencing its first moments of doubt. After years of growth, it faces its greatest challenge: conquering the general public.

The seven finalists for Car of the Year in Europe 2025

With the guarantee of winning the Car of the Year award for two years, Renault has made a very strong commitment to the electric car, resurrecting some of its historical models (Renault 5, Renault 4 and even the Twingo) with a careful aesthetic and a touch. running very good.

Above, the company has focused on diversifying forces with a completely Renault Scenic valid for family use and motorized options for those who prefer to continue having the support of gasoline engines.

In 2025 where brands face million-dollar fines, with greater competition between electric vehicles of between 30,000 and 40,000 euros and a huge market to conquer, the electric car is experiencing a turning point.

The market that buys the most cars, the German market, continues without purchasing aid and has begun to demand a basic plan for all of Europe. In countries where buyers have fewer economic resources, the electric car is not managing to grow either, with potential customers waiting for the car to drop in price or increase its autonomy. It is no coincidence that a large part of Renault’s commercial offering focuses on offering its Five below 100 euros/month.

In the absence of data published by ACEA 2024, everything indicates that the electric car has not managed to gain market share compared to 2023 in Europe. Between January and November 2024, it had remained at 13.4% of the total cars sold, compared to the 14.2% market share in 2023.

To stand above with consolidated data at the end of the yearthe difference in favor of the electric car should not be very high and would have been achieved because the manufacturers would have put a huge number of electric vehicles on the network before the end of the year. In November, electric cars in the European Union were falling by 5.7% as its 1,303,686 electric cars totaled 74,000 fewer units than last year.

Photo | renault

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