DRIVERS of the new Renault 5 EV will have a high-tech onboard companion in the car in the form of the Reno avatar.

Reno is an animated character that appears on the car's display screen and it is there to help with any question - from using the car to giving suggestions about getting the best from your drive.

All users have to do is say a command using the car's voice control such as "Hey Reno, schedule a charge for 8am tomorrow" and Reno will do the rest.

The Reno avatar can answer the 200 questions most frequently asked by customers and identified by Renault After-Sales such as: "Hey Reno, how do I connect my phone to the car?" or "Hey Reno, how do I change a tyre?".

Reno made its debut alongside the new Renault 5 E-Tech when the car was revealed at the Geneva motor show.

Due for release early in 2025, the new Renault 5 brings the iconic model - which sold some 5.5 million units across the globe between 1972 and 1985 and was one of the original superminis - into the 21st century.

The car has styling cues from the original such as chunky lines on the wings, an ‘air vent' in the bonnet and distinctive light clusters front and rear.

It will also be available in brightly coloured paint finishes including the green and yellow shades used on the original in the 1970s.

The vent grille on the bonnet of the original car has been reinvented to keep up with the times and is now a charge indicator in the form of the number 5 which illuminates as the driver approaches the vehicle.

At 3.92m long the Renault 5 is 9cm shorter than the latest Clio and its wheelbase of 2.54m with short overhangs make it just 4cm shorter than on Clio. It is 1.77m wide and with its battery slung under the floor is 1.5m tall - 6cm higher than the Clio.

It is a five-door car and has a good sized boot at 326 litres with more room available thanks to folding rear seats.

Two range options will be available - 248 miles from a 52kWh battery and 186 miles from a 40 kWh - and the car is said to have a - to 62mph acceleration time of less than eight seconds with a maximum of 93mph.

Any announcement about prices is still some way off but can be expected to start from around £30,000 for the longer range model.