The overall feeling inside is a positive one, with lots of light and colour and well-integrated technology. It’s not only the exterior design that has character.
There is an excellent driving position with a comfortable seat that has ample support. You sit low and deep, in the car rather than on it, but a relaxing front cabin comes at the expense of rear leg room, which is almost non-existent for those in the back if the front passengers are even an average height. Still, the fact the 5 has five doors is a boon.
The boot is a good size, though, its 277-litre capacity up on the 210-litre Mini – the trade-off for a smaller rear cabin, much like in the Clio. A high load lip is another thing the 5 has in common with a Clio, which makes access to the boot tricky.
The interior colour and style is a world away from the more traditional Clio and there are plenty of nods to the original R5 in its design and trim. The blue denim trim on the dashboard really lifts the mood in particular (this padded trim is another nod to the original R5, and there is a yellow option, too) and for once ensures that a large touchscreen isn’t the dominant feature of an interior.
There is one of those still, of course, 10in in diameter and running the slick Google system, while there is a crisp display of the same size for the driver.
The touchscreen is slick and quick to respond to inputs. It is one of the better systems on the market, and doesn’t get bogged down in overcomplicating menus. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both feature.
The screen is backed up by a substantial amount of physical switchgear for features like the heating and all major safety controls. It’s a good balance that works well. Elsewhere, you can spot Clio switchgear with some of the stalks and the window controls, but that’s no bad thing and Renault has chosen to spend the money on things that matter and make a difference. Likewise the bottom half of the interior is all hard black plastic, but you can live with it for what need to be harder-wearing surfaces. The colour and intrigue come from above.