Start with what the Renault 5 II is: a 3/5-door hatchback with Renault F8M, built from 1984 to 1996, in the age of turbocharging and the first electronic engine management. What it meant takes a little longer. The shape is credited to Marcello Gandini.
Where it came from
The Renault Super 5 (also known as the Renault 5, Supercinque or Supercinco) is a supermini (B-segment) car produced by the French manufacturer Renault between 1984 and 1996. Its design was inspired by the profile of the Renault 5, although it is slightly longer and lower, as it was conceived to replace it in the French brand's range. For this reason, it is also known as the Renault 5; in fact, this is the name that always appeared on the rear of the model. The car has a length of 3,590 mm (141.3 in) (3,750 mm (147.6 in) with 5 doors), a width of 1,590 mm (62.6 in), a height of 1,390 mm (54.7 in) and a wheelbase of 2,407 mm (94.8 in) (2,467 mm (97.1 in) with 5 doors). The weight, depending on the version, ranges from 760 to 860 kg (1,676 to 1,896 lb).
Over twelve years, Renault produced more than three million units at its plants in Billancourt, Dieppe and Flins-sur-Seine (France); Brussels and Vilvoorde (Belgium); Palencia (Spain); Setúbal (Portugal); Mariara (Venezuela) and, from 1989, Novo Mesto (Slovenia). Approximately 500,000 vehicles were assembled annually, a figure that gradually decreased from 1990, so that by the time production ended in 1996, a total of 3,436,650 units had been manufactured. In terms of sales, 1988 was the best year, with 518,910 vehicles sold across Europe. There were twenty-two versions, as well as more than thirty-five limited editions. Its commercial rivals included models such as the Citroën AX, the Ford Fiesta, the Opel Corsa, the Peugeot 205, the SEAT Ibiza and the Volkswagen Polo, among others. The development of the Renault Super 5 bega
Under the skin
The engine is Renault F8M. On the scales it comes to 760 -. The layout matters: the engine drives the front wheels, the packaging choice that gives a small car a big cabin. The wheelbase is 2407 mm (3-door) / 2467 mm (5-door). These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
In the Renault line-up the Renault 5 II has a clear place: it replaced the Renault 5; it handed the line to the Renault Clio; the factory was Billancourt, Flins-sur-Seine, Dieppe. The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Ferrari Testarossa, the Toyota MR2, the SEAT Ibiza. Nearby in the Renault catalogue sit the Renault 10 and the Renault 10CV.
Owning one today
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Renault 5 II has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.