Few cars have the long lifespan that Renault's CEO envisions for the upcoming Renault 5.
Renault's sister brand, Nissan, is one of the few manufacturers pushing a car's longevity to the limit, as evidenced by the GT-R, which has been in production for 17 years.
Fiat did something similar with the iconic 500.
Renault sees no obstacles in keeping the new Renault 5 around for at least as long—or nearly so.
This is according to Auto Express.
Renault defends the decision by emphasizing that with continuous updates—what would typically be called facelifts—the Renault 5 can remain relevant for at least 10 to 15 years.
"We won't keep the 5 exactly the same for seven years. But it's an iconic product, so we don’t want to change the design. The structure will stay the same for a long time—perhaps 10, 12, or even 15 years—just like the Fiat 500. But you can change everything inside," Renault CEO Luca de Meo told the publication.
The French automaker is already considering the first updates to the car, even before the first customers take the wheel. One such update includes adding shift paddles on the steering wheel.
However, unlike traditional cars with combustion engines, these paddles won’t be used to shift gears.
Instead, Renault plans to allow drivers to control braking and energy regeneration through the steering wheel paddles.
Additionally, the car will feature a 'one-pedal' driving mode, where the car slows down enough on its own that drivers only need to keep their right foot on the accelerator.
