Renault Model History

France · founded 1899

France's largest automaker — founded by Louis Renault in 1899, nationalized in 1945, and now the pioneer of European mass-market electrification with the Zoe and the revived Renault 5 E-Tech.

Models

4CV

Renault's first postwar car — a rear-engined economy saloon that became the first French model to sell over a million units.

Economy car · 1947–1961
Dauphine

The 4CV's larger, rounder successor — a rear-engined compact that sold over two million units and briefly conquered the American market.

Economy car · 1956–1967
Renault 4

The world's first mass-produced hatchback — a 31-year 'blue jeans' car that sold over 8 million units across 28 countries.

Economy car · 1961–1992
Renault 5

France's best-selling car through the 1970s and 1980s — a Michel Boué-styled supermini that defined the segment across two generations.

Supermini · 1972–1996
Renault 16

The car that won the first European Car of the Year award for France — and proved the five-door hatchback as a practical family-car format.

Mid-size car · 1965–1980
Espace

Europe's first production MPV — Renault's 1984 Espace invented the minivan concept for the continent, spawning decades of family monovolumes.

Minivan · 1984–present
Clio

Renault's best-selling supermini — twice-crowned European Car of the Year, now in its sixth generation, and home to the hot Clio Williams and Clio RS.

Supermini · 1990–present
Twingo

A distinctive single-volume city car (1993–2024) — 2.6 million first-generation units made it one of Europe's most successful minicars.

City car · 1993–2024
Mégane

Renault's core compact family car for three decades — successor to the Renault 19, home of the 300-hp Mégane RS, now in its electric Mégane E-Tech form.

Compact car · 1995–present
Scénic

The car that invented the compact MPV segment — the Renault Scénic won the 1997 European Car of the Year and spawned countless imitators.

Compact MPV · 1996–present
Laguna

Renault's D-segment family car for two decades — a practical large hatchback and estate, replaced by the Talisman in 2016.

Large family car · 1994–2015
Kangoo

Renault's versatile compact van and passenger car — one of Europe's longest-running light commercial vehicles, now offered in electric form.

Compact van · 1997–present
Zoé

Europe's best-selling battery-electric car through most of the 2010s — Renault's pioneering supermini-class EV.

Electric car · 2012–2024
Renault 5 E-Tech

A retro-futuristic revival of the iconic R5 nameplate as a fully electric supermini — 2025 European Car of the Year.

Electric car · 2024–present

Other makes