The story that leads to the Alpine A290

From a doodle on the back of a photograph to an electric car that carries the name of a whole marque. Fifty years of the Renault 5 on a horizontal timeline, all the way to the A290.

[8 milestones]

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1967
Michel Boué draws the Renault 5
Michel Boué at the design studio
A doodle on a photograph
In April 1967, Michel Boué picked up a photograph of the Renault 4 and drew a silhouette that did not exist on top of it. It was not a commission: it was a personal exercise. Months later the doodle became a model, then a prototype and, on 28 January 1972, the Renault 5.
When
April 1967
Who
Michel Boué
Starting point
A photograph of the Renault 4
1972
Official unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show
Renault 5
The Renault 5 is born
On 28 January 1972 the Renault 5 was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in two versions: L and TL. Engines of 782 and 956 cc, a monocoque of 3.52 metres and a weight of 730 to 785 kilos. The city car that would define the second half of the century was born.
Unveiling
28 January 1972, Geneva Motor Show
Engines
782 cc (36 hp) and 956 cc (47 hp)
Body
3 doors, monocoque, 3.52 m
Weight
730 – 785 kg
1976
The marque's first hot hatch
Renault 5 Alpine
The Alpine
In February 1976 the Renault 5 Alpine arrived: 1,397 cc, 93 hp, 177 km/h and five speeds. Two months ahead of the Golf GTI, the German coupé that would become the unavoidable rival. It proved that a supermini could be a proper car.
Date
February 1976
Engine
1,397 cc, 93 hp
Performance
177 km/h · 0-100 in 9.7 s
Gearbox
5-speed manual
1980
Rear engine, rear wheel drive, 160 hp
Renault 5 Turbo
R5 Turbo
In 1980 the Renault 5 did what nobody expected: it was a supermini and a sports car at the same time. A 1,397 cc turbo behind the seats, 160 hp, 204 km/h and a drivetrain that made it a real hot hatch. They called it the fat arse, and it was the quickest in its class.
Year
1980
Engine
1,397 cc turbo, 160 hp
Performance
204 km/h · 0-100 in 6.9 s
Drive
Rear wheel drive
1984
A total redesign by Marcello Gandini
Renault Supercinq
The Supercinq arrives
In 1984 the Renault 5 changed skin for the first time: the Supercinq, drawn by Marcello Gandini on the R9 platform, with a transverse engine and MacPherson suspension. It looked like a different car, and yet it kept the interior space that had made the 5 great.
Year
1984
Design
Marcello Gandini
Platform
R9 / R11
Engine
Transverse, front MacPherson
2021
The Renault 5 Prototype and the return of the marque
Renault 5 Prototype
Renaulution
On 14 January 2021, at Renaulution, Renault unveiled the R5 Prototype: a retro-futurist design exercise signed by Gilles Vidal and Francois Leboine. The marque was announcing a comeback that had been seven years in the making.
Date
14 January 2021
Event
Renaulution
Design
Gilles Vidal and Francois Leboine
Year
2021
2024
World premiere of the R5 E-Tech
Renault 5
The Renault 5 returns
On 26 February 2024, at the Geneva Motor Show, the Renault 5 E-Tech was unveiled. Batteries of 40 or 52 kWh, up to 410 km of WLTP range and a starting price that put it within everyone's reach. In 2025 it became European Car of the Year.
Unveiling
26 February 2024, Geneva
Batteries
40 kWh (70/90 kW) and 52 kWh (110 kW)
Range
Up to 410 km WLTP
Production
Douai, France
2024
World premiere, orders and the first edition
Alpine A290
Alpine A290
On 13 June 2024 the Alpine A290 was unveiled in production form: 52 kWh, up to 380 km of WLTP range and two power levels, 180 and 220 hp. Orders opened in France on 30 July from 38,700 euros, and the Première Édition limited the run to 1,955 units.
Unveiling
13 June 2024
Motors
180 hp and 220 hp
Battery
52 kWh · up to 380 km WLTP
Price in France
From 38,700 € (30 July 2024)
Première Édition
1,955 units