Joint winner for 2025 European Car of the Year

Renault and Alpine sibling clinch top prize

French carmaker Renault is no stranger to European Car of the Year victories.
French carmaker Renault is no stranger to European Car of the Year victories.
Image: Supplied

In a curious turn of events, the 2025 European Car of the Year title went to two victors – both part of the Renault stable. 

The votes of 60 automotive journalists from 23 countries resulted in the Alpine A290 and Renault 5 E-Tech sharing a joint victory. Technically, these models use the same ingredients, with the former being a more high-performance iteration of the latter. 

In the first round of voting last November, Renault 5 E-Tech electric, entered jointly with Alpine A290, was named as one of seven finalists, alongside Alfa Romeo Junior, Citroën ë-C3/C3, Cupra Terramar, Dacia Duster, Hyundai Inster and Kia EV3. The Renault 5 E-Tech electric and Alpine A290 took first place with 353 points.

Renault's new compact becomes the eighth brand vehicle to win the prestigious Car of the Year award after Renault 16 (1966), Renault 9 (1982), Clio I (1991), Scenic (1997), Megane (2003), Clio III (2006) and Scenic E-Tech electric (2024).
 

There are no current plans to introduce the 5 E-Tech to SA.


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