Even the entry-level version, in Evolution spec with the 40kWh battery, gets fantastic-looking 18-inch wheels as standard, and the standard colour is a vibrant green. Boring white or black is a cost option, as is yellow. Techno trim keeps the wheels and opens up the colour and customisation options.

Top Iconic spec gets far fussier wheels and standard black paint. Yellow is an option and matches the vivid upholstery that’s standard with this trim, but you can’t change the wheels.

Renault plans to keep the range fresh with trim changes and special editions, starting with the top-spec Roland Garros version. Great wheels, plenty of kit, dull colours inside and out. Still, if you want to pay more for a duller look, that’s your choice. But for me there’s no doubt that vibrant ’70s-inspired hues really suit the car best.

But it’s not just about paint and wheels. What really ramps up the desirability is Renault’s clever reimagining of the original 5’s distinctive shape. It’s a much bigger car, and electric, and has to carry a whole bunch of safety and convenience kit that was unimaginable when the 5 was designed in the early ’70s, so quite a challenge for the Renault design team. They were clearly up to the task.

There are many elements here that recall the first 5 without trying too hard to copy it: the tiny overhangs, the rear and front screens at similar angles, the shape of the lights, and the simple horizontal air intakes.

If the basic shape draws you in, it’s the details that really make it. Replacing the original’s bonnet vent is an illuminated ‘5’ logo that acts as a useful charge indicator, fitted as standard on Techno trim and up; when the battery is fully charged, the 5 is fully lit up. Unlock the car and it’ll wink a headlight at you. You can’t help but fall for the 5.

With 148bhp and 181Ib ft of torque at my disposal, performance is in a different league to the 35bhp of the ’70s original I sampled three years ago. In fact, the only original 5 that’s faster is the barmy mid-engined Turbo. Accelerating from zero to 62mph in the new car takes 7.9 seconds, with strong acceleration after an initial soft ramp-up of power, a built-in hesitation that stops the front tyres turning to smoke. Top speed is 93mph.

One glance at the standard 18-inch wheels should tell you that unlike the original, comfort is not the top priority here. That’s not to say it’s punishing like an electric Mini Cooper; the 5 rounds off imperfect surfaces, lessening their impact, while still informing you of exactly what’s passing beneath you.

The upshot is tight handling with none of the alarming bodyroll the original is so good at producing. The steering is quick at 2.6 turns lock-to-lock without being nervous, although I do prefer the additional heft that Sport mode brings over the slightly too light Comfort mode. Both feel far more natural than the Mini’s overly heavy steering, which just seems artificial to me.

Grip levels are good, and pleasingly you can tuck the nose into a bend if you brake deep in towards the apex. Push beyond what the efficiency-minded Michelins are capable of and you’ll find the front tyres let go first before the stability control tidies everything up for you. It’s no hot hatch, and doesn’t claim to be. There’s always the A290 from companion brand Alpine if you want something a bit quicker and more playful.

Motor noise is well contained, with the main audible annoyances coming from the gustiness around the door mirrors. The big tyres also generate a fair amount of rumble over coarse surfaces, but you can’t expect Rolls-Royce hush for less than £30k.

Space up front is plentiful, while the rear is significantly tighter. It’s far more commodious than the three-door-only Fiat 500e, with extra doors, more knee room and head room, not to mention a decent 326-litre boot, albeit with a sizeable drop from the loading lip to the boot floor. This figure includes useful underfloor storage for your cables, and if that’s not enough you can tow a 500kg trailer, too.

My biggest space-related grumble is aimed at rear foot space. Now, I have tiny size six feet and still find the footwells too tight because of the battery pack intruding into the space. The only solution is to jack the front seat height up by a few inches, allowing me to slip my toes under the chair.

Rapid charging peaks at 100kW (80kW for the smaller battery), which is par for the course in this class. It’ll get you charged from 10 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes, or plugging into a 7kW home wallbox will fully charge the big-battery 5 in around nine hours. Standard 11kW charging means you can take advantage of slightly faster top-ups if you have a three-phase home or work charger.

I can confidently say I’m something of a Renault 5 efficiency expert. I spent a week in a left-hand-drive example during the depths of winter, and a right-hand-drive 5 during a particularly warm week in spring. With the temperature around 7ºC, I was only getting 3.3 miles per kWh, which gives about 160 miles of driving from a full battery. When the temperature rises above 20º the figures improve greatly.

The first ‘low battery’ warning comes when there’s 15 per cent remaining, with a brief bonging noise and a message on the driver’s display prompting me to use Eco mode. I have to press OK to make the warning text go away, and the battery gauge is now yellow as a further reminder. I continue in Comfort mode with the default regenerative braking level and cabin temperature set to a comfortable 20ºC.

It’s not until I get to five per cent charge remaining that there’s another brief chime, with the battery icon on the charge read-out now flashing its percent remaining in red, and the gauge now also red. Where some other EVs will be limiting power at this point, there’s no noticeable loss in performance here. However, the range read-out has now stopped showing miles remaining, with only a series of dashes to be seen.

A few miles later, I finally hit zero per cent, and make it to the nearest charger with no issues. There’s very little fanfare or reduction in power when you hit zero. My efficiency for the 208.2 miles from 100 per cent to zero per cent is a good 4.3 miles per kWh.

Open the driver’s door and there’s a fine blend of the retro and modern. The ’80s-inspired rectangular instrument binnacle is topped with a trio of silver buttons that wouldn’t look out of place on a supersized Casio watch. And these are not the only physical buttons you’ll find in the interior, which strikes a good balance between digital and physical.

The cabin is just as customisable as the outside, with various storage solutions and cubby lids available in funky colours and 5-themed designs. We love the baguette holder.

There is a lot of hard plastic, as you’d expect from a small car. But at least you get some padded fabric on the door, and some squishy plastic on the armrest. The steering wheel feels good in your hands. Overall it’s among the most pleasant small cars to sit in, and runs the Mini close for quality.

Cars in Techno trim and upwards get a 10.0-inch digital instrument cluster, and all versions get a central 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen. The Google-based software allows you to log in to your account and download certain apps including Waze and Spotify, and navigation is provided by Google Maps. Alternatively, you can just plug your Apple or Android phone in to use CarPlay or Android Auto.

The screens look sharp and generally prove responsive to your commands, apart from the odd delay, for instance when turning on the heated steering wheel straight after turning on the heated seat. By the way, that lovely warm feeling is only available with Iconic trim and up, and isn’t an option lower down the range.

A Mini Cooper’s circular display is sharper than the 5’s, with more expensive-looking graphics, although the Renault is more user-friendly. Key to this is the 5 having physical buttons for frequently used functions such as adjusting the audio volume and the heater temperature.

The 5 comes with vehicle-to-load functionality. This essentially turns the 5 into a giant powerbank via an adapter that plugs into the charging port, allowing you to charge e-bikes or even run power tools. Perfect for you log cabin in the country or a spot of camping.