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Some 84% of Renault 5 buyers are new to the brand, giving it one of the highest conquest rates of any model the brand has yet launched.

A recent Renault survey of around 1900 5 buyers in the UK revealed that roughly 1600 were switching out of a competitor product: 3.4% part-exchanged a Mini Cooper, 3.8% traded in a Ford Fiesta and 4.4% swapped out of a Fiat 500. 

But while Renault UK managing director Adam Wood acknowledged that the most popular part-exchange models were similarly sized superminis, there is “really no trend” to who is buying the electric supermini.

“They're coming from premium SUVs, small cars, all different brands. Some of them are second cars, some of them are primary cars,” he said, citing the car’s retro-futuristic design as a key factor in its appeal. 

“The key thing with the 5 is that it comes back to that point of magic. People see the car and, I think whether they remember the original or not, it's just a great piece of design that brings a smile to peoples' faces."

"Emotion is a big part of the buyer's purchase too, and that's why you see such a conquest rate on the 5."

The 5 has been a roaring commercial success in its first few months on sale: some 2400 examples had been delivered in the UK to the end of June and it was the best-selling EV to private buyers in April and May - making Renault the country’s number-two retail EV brand, behind Tesla. 

The 5 was instrumental in helping Renault grow its share of the UK car market to 3.7%, with registrations climbing 16% year-on-year in the first half of 2025 - in part because of a 17% hike in private car sales.

Renault's EV sales were up a huge 887% in the first half, with the 5 and Scenic having joined the Mégane in the last year, and Wood anticipates that the arrival of the 4 this autumn will drive further growth, based on the early success of the similarly conceived 5, which has “really has brought electric motoring to the masses in terms of affordability".

Wood cited the 5’s £23k start price and potentially low running costs – assuming the ability to charge on an EV-specific domestic tariff – as giving a “very similar” total cost of ownership to a comparable ICE hatchback but suggested that the supermini’s success wasn't entirely founded on its affordability. 

"Accessible pricing is, of course, a factor. But I think often the industry forgets the emotional appeal too. So I think it's that design and fun that is also attracting more and more private individuals who perhaps weren't considering electric.

“In many ways, I think it's like a Trojan Horse to get more people considering electric."

Vauxhall has reimagined its GSe performance brand with a new version of the Mokka Electric that has nearly double the power of the standard car.

Previewed by the Mokka GSe Rally prototype in May, the crossover’s arrival marks the relaunch of GSe, most recently used for the plug-in hybrid Astra GSe, as a badge for performance-honed fully electric cars. The Mokka is also a more serious proposition than the Astra, with substantially more power and extensive chassis modifications.

Its new motor, which is shared with the Abarth 600e, the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce and the new Peugeot e-208 GTi, puts out 276bhp and 254lb ft. That’s sent to the front wheels through a Torsen limitedslip differential, and it allows the Mokka GSe to hit 62mph from rest in 5.9sec.

To cope with that significant uptick in performance, the GSe’s rear axle has been redesigned to add an anti-roll bar and tauter bushings. Together, these are said to increase the back end’s torsional stiffness by 189% compared with the regular car.

The GSe also gets more heavily weighted steering, 380mm Alcon front brake discs with four-pot calipers and new dampers with hydraulic bump stops. The Mokka GSe rides on new 20in alloy wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres, and it tips the scales at less than 1600kg.

The brand has yet to disclose a range, but the e-208 GTi, 600e and Junior Elettrica Veloce all return around 200 miles between charges. For reference, the standard Mokka EV has a 247-mile claimed range from the same 54kWh battery used by the GSe.

Visually, the new model is marked out by its neon yellow contrasting elements and new gloss black panels on its front and rear bumpers. Inside, it has Alcantara bucket seats and door cards, and the infotainment touchscreen features new displays including a g-force meter.

Prices and delivery dates have yet to be confirmed, but a 600e with the 276bhp motor starts from £39,885, while the Junior Elettrica Veloce is £42,305.

That suggests the Vauxhall could land in the high-£30,000s – possibly just undercutting the UK’s £40,000 luxury car tax threshold.