Renault 5 E-Tech Electric 150 vs Citroen C3 Hybrid 136 e-DCS6: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the 5 E-Tech Electric 150 hits 100 km/h in 8.12 s versus 8.57 s for the C3 Hybrid 136 e-DCS6. At this point, the 5 E-Tech Electric 150 leads by 0.45 s and sits roughly 8 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the 5 E-Tech Electric 150 is doing 117 km/h against 116 km/h for the C3 Hybrid 136 e-DCS6. The gap is 0.31 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the 5 E-Tech Electric 150 crosses the line in 16.13 s versus 16.38 s. The 0.25 s gap represents roughly 10 m of track - two to three car lengths.

Past 400 metres, the situation changes. The 5 E-Tech Electric 150 maxes out at 150 km/h while the C3 Hybrid 136 e-DCS6 keeps accelerating towards 205 km/h. At 600 metres, the gap has dropped to 0.09 s.

Around 652 metres, both vehicles are level. This is the inversion point: the C3 Hybrid 136 e-DCS6 overcomes its launch deficit thanks to a 55 km/h higher top speed.

At 1,000 metres, the C3 Hybrid 136 e-DCS6 finishes in 29.52 s versus 30.62 s. The 1.10 s delta in favour of the C3 Hybrid 136 e-DCS6 shows that top speed makes a clear difference.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the 5 E-Tech Electric 150 is capped at 150 km/h, the C3 Hybrid 136 e-DCS6 at 205 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two plug-in hybrid powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (10.16 kg/hp vs 9.03 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 13.29 seconds. The 0.45 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.