https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/feu/en/news/2025/12/09/Ford-and-Renault-Group-form-strategic-partnership.html

We've touched on this before but a few more details are starting to emerge. I've seen renderings in both Autocar and Auto Express of their guess as to what an e-Fiesta would look like. Unsurprisingly, about as different from the R5 as the new Nissan Micra is.

The original plan was thought to use the VW ID2 platform, but they've plumped for the Renault deal instead.

I do wonder if its the right decision. I'm quite taken by the R5, as I've mentioned elsewhere, but found it rather lacking in interior space compared to my Fiesta. The existing ICE Polo is competitive in that respect with the Mk 8 Fiesta and the new e-Polo has more space still and appears to offer greater range and efficiency. 

I wonder what "Ford DNA" will bring to the party? In amongst the various publicity blurb is what I suspect is the real reason for going with Renault. Translated from bull*hit to English, it's cheaper and they can get it to market quicker.

 

On 1/2/2026 at 3:25 PM, Eric Bloodaxe said:

The existing ICE Polo is competitive in that respect with the Mk 8 Fiesta and the new e-Polo has more space still and appears to offer greater range and efficiency. 

Further to this, I came across this first drive review of the ID Polo (still camouflaged!) by Autogefuhl. I could see this actually working for many people.

Renault have a good package in this sector, nearly everybody uses it. Much of the design work is done by a Renault subsidiary in China which is why these cars get to market so fast. The New ev Twingo is, however flat out at 80 MPH, has a 0-60 time of 12 seconds and best range of about 160 miles. It is cheap for sure but strictly a city car. A Fiesta 1.0 weighs the same, is 2 seconds faster to 60, half as fast again and enjoys three times the range so I remain to be convinced.

Back in the day, my parents drove a few Renaults (R11 and R19). All I remember about those cars is that they broke down quite often. I also drove a Renault company car in the early 2000s, and that one had its share of problems as well. So it’s fair to say that I wouldn’t be tempted to buy a rebadged Renault product.

That said, I really like the new Renault R5. They’ve done a great job developing a brand-new, modern EV that everyone still recognises as the iconic car from the 1980s. And that is, in my opinion, also the problem. It is very clearly a Renault R5. Nissan has changed quite a few things, but the car is still unmistakably recognisable as an R5. The Nissan simply lacks its own identity.

I’m concerned that Ford may also struggle to give their Renault R5 derivative a distinct identity. It would take an enormous amount of redesign (both exterior and interior, as well as suspension tuning) to make it feel like a proper Ford. Since those developments would require a significant investment of time and money, I don’t see that happening.

I also think it would be wrong to offer such a car under the Fiesta name. Rather than diluting over 45 years of Fiesta heritage, Ford should introduce a new name. But that’s just my opinion.

10 minutes ago, JW1982 said:

I also drove a Renault company car in the early 2000s

I was loaned a brand new Megane in the early 90s while my company lease car** was under repair (again). I still recall the Renault's comfort, but sadly also that most of the instrument panel was not working!

(**A Peugeot. I still later risked its close cousin, a Citroen ZX turbodiesel and enjoyed 3 years and 100,000 miles of economical and trouble free driving.)

Oh, and can I have the Polo colour scheme on my Fiesta, please? Death Magnetic Grey has to be the most boring non colour ever sprayed on a surface.

1 hour ago, anon said:

Death Magnetic Grey has to be the most boring non colour ever sprayed on a surface.

Oh, I don't know, some of us quite like it.........😀

Awkward... 😬 😄

When I ordered my Focus I wanted Chrome Blue, as I'd chosen on the online builder.

"Sorry, run out of blue, you'll have to pick another colour". Urgh, solid red, immediately dusty black or depressing white? I'll have to take the least worst option of Magnetic Grey in that case! Never did particularly like it though.

Ironically, there's now a Chrome Blue facelift in the same spec on my regular walking route! 😆

Renaults and Peugeots...

As a passenger in a Renault 4 in the late 70s - I was scared !

Pugs - at work, we used to use 505 estates, rear seats removed, full rollcages, and a very heavy load normally carried, amazingly the ride and handling appeared to be the same, either full or empty! Later we had a 4WD 405 estate, again, a good estate car.

As for getting an EV.......

3 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

I'll have to take the least worst option

I've often done that, but tbh I'm not really that bothered about colour - you can't see it from inside anyway. I've had white, black, grey (obviously!), green, most shades of blue, gold, silver, yellow, red and midnight sky (is that blue or grey? Could never work it out), to name but a few. I once got a Honda Jazz courtesy car in a sort of metallic pink - now there I would draw the line!

Renault partnership can't be any worse than there VW rebadged efforts? Or can it? 😂

On 1/2/2026 at 3:25 PM, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I wonder what "Ford DNA" will bring to the party?

The "FORD DNA" will be the same "FORD DNA" as used in the MK2 Ka👍

Definitely None Anywhere.

Perhaps from earlier comments about Renault, and what we see on here about the Ka Mk 2, the Renault tie-up will align more closely with Fix Or Repair Daily?

FORRD

Fix Or Repair your Renfault Daily

Despite my pathological dislike of VW group products, they are for the most part reliable. My experience with Renaults is that they tend to be less so and are hard to repair. As for the Ka Mk2, that was a shoddy rebadged Fiat (Fix it again tomorrow) and not the little jewel that was the original. It is a real shame that our best small cars* had such a tendency to rot out.

*No not the Mini, the Austin 1100 and its derivatives which were roomy, well styled and nearly as comfortable as a Citroen, without all the complication.

I keep following with interest the long term tests on the R5 and the Alpine version. The claimed ranges seem to be rather optimistic.

Latest I've seen was the Alpine A290 GTS which I guess they would say is broadly equivalent to my present Fiesta.

The regular driver reports the claimed 224 mile range is more like 165 overall in real life, dropping to 125 in a particularly cold spell or after a spell of M-way use.

They conclude that (that particular version at least) makes more sense as a fun second car for short trips. But it's £37k +!

Last week I went on holiday to our family house in rural Germany. During the 1400 KM trip I did see exactly 2 Explorer EV's. Both were driving 55 MPH on the motorway. Quite dangerous on a motorway with no speed limit where the average speed of other traffic is 80 MPH or higher.

I have a strong feeling that those EV owners drive slower to increase the range (in other words, to prevent it from dropping drastically when driving faster).

Apart from those 2 Explorer EV's I did not see a single European EV. The very few EV's I have seen were all Chinese with names that I cannot even pronounce.


Ford can partner with VW and Renault to build EV's but in a market where most private buyers still prefer ICE or Hybrid, I foresee that they will not become a big success.


In the Netherlands where I live, the government increased road tax for EV's. Since the road tax is based on vehicle weight EV's are hugely affected. Right now there is still a small compensation for the higher vehicle weight of an EV but this will also disappear in 2030.

I foresee that many private buyers that were stimulated by the government to buy an EV will switch back to ICE or Hybrid once all financial benefits disappear. Especially the owners that do not have the possibility to charge at home and rely on (expensive) public chargers.

Further to earlier posts, I've now read "first drive" reports on the ID Polo and ID Polo GTI, which seem fairly positive, though no-one has yet been able to comment on real world range.

Vauxhall are going to launch a Corsa GSE so its looking like an EV version of old times minus Ford! Thing is, these "hot" versions are around the £35k plus area, though I guess most will be on finance. Even so, its a far cry from when the Mk 8 Fiesta ST launched at from under £20k.

Other thing is they seem to be exploring fake engine noises and simulated gearchanges. I'd rather they concentrated their efforts on matching the range and refuelling speed of the Fiesta.

Hi i used to be a qualifide brake fitter, some cheap pads are not allway's the best choice some have crappy compound that wear quicker or dont grip aswell, you sometimes can get through a few set's of pad's before the disc's wear out, look in the repair manual and it should give you the service limit of the disc, it's a matter of checking them now and then, and dont forget the brake fluid needs changing now and then.

6 minutes ago, bobfloyd said:

i used to be a qualifide brake fitter, some cheap pads are not allway's the best choice

I think you have been looking at the "Digestives" and clicked the wrong thread to post on!😀