Renault R5 and Alpine A290 elected "Car of the Year 2025"

“This is very good news for several reasons. It proves that with the same platform, we can make vehicles that are both similar but meet extremely different customer needs. It is also a huge catalyst for internal synergy to work for each brand and pool our resources. So, a victory for both brands is very good news. We did not choose to bring the two models together, it was the jury’s choice, but for us it turned out to be a winning choice. The next challenge is to prove that we can produce and design cars in France and Europe while offering competitive prices,” explained Fabrice Cambolive, appointed General Manager of the Renault brand, to ACL.

“Super happy and proud. This is the first time for our brand with our first electric model. We worked hard and this award reflects the work done by our teams,” added Philippe Krief, CEO of Alpine.

The other finalists included the Dacia Duster (172 points), Hyundai Inster (168 points), Cupra Terramar (165 points), and Alfa Romeo Junior (136 points).

It should be noted that Alain Rousseau, editor-in-chief of Automoto magazine and member of the “Car of the Year” jury for Luxembourg, gave his votes in this order to the models on the final podium.

Winning Features

The Renault R5 E-Tech Electric stands out primarily for its nostalgic yet modern look, inspired by the iconic R5. But beyond its design, the model impressed with its driving comfort and range. Finally, its price below 30,000 euros undoubtedly tipped some votes. To learn more, read our review.

The Alpine A290, which is built on the same base as the R5, is the brand’s first electric sports city car. It stands out with increased performance and a slightly sharper design. It also benefits from the brand’s sporting expertise and offers great sensations in terms of acceleration and performance. Also noteworthy are reworked suspensions for more dynamic driving. To learn more, read our review.

More than 300,000 visitors at the Brussels Motor Show

After the success of the Paris Motor Show in October 2024, it was in Brussels that the public was able to see models from 63 car brands, including 7 world premieres (Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida Q4, Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce Q4, DS No. 8, Microlino Spider, Skoda Enyaq, Skoda Enyaq Coupé and Toyota Urban Cruiser) and 14 European premieres such as Ford Puma Gen-E, Hyundai Inster and Ioniq 9, Mazda model TBC and Corvette E-Ray.

The Federation of Automobile and Cycle Industries (Febiac), organizer of the show, announced that it had exceeded its attendance expectations with 307,362 visitors in one week. This show, very sales-oriented, was supposed to set the trend for the coming year from a commercial point of view. And initial feedback seems satisfactory. “With this attendance, the Auto Show confirmed its status as Belgium’s largest indoor event. Our surveys indicate that 32% of visitors came to the show with the intention of directly purchasing a new car,” said Frank Van Gool, CEO of Febiac, in a press release.

A good indicator for Autofestival

Generally, after the Brussels show, manufacturers move their new products to Luxembourg dealerships to be admired during Autofestival. At a time when the automotive market is under pressure and at the heart of the transition to electricity, it is clear that the public is still interested in cars. With more than 500,000 visitors, an increase of 25% compared to the 2023 edition, both Paris Motor Show and Brussels Motor Show undeniably show public interest in cars.

Positive indicators for Autofestival which is also an important indicator for professionals in this sector for the rest of the year. Traditionally, this event accounts for about a third of annual orders.

By Jérémy Zabatta