Renault 17 Overview: Specs, Generations, and Which One to Buy
Full renault 17 specs guide: a 3-door hatchback built from 1972 to 1980 with 90–109 hp, one generation, manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive.
The Renault 17 is a 3-door hatchback produced from 1972 to 1980, offered with engines from 90 to 109 hp, a manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive. If you are checking renault 17 specs before a purchase, this is a car for classic-car enthusiasts who want a compact 1970s French coupe-style hatchback rather than a daily commuter.
Renault 17 generations
1 generation (1972–1980)
The first and only generation of the Renault 17 was built from 1972 to 1980 exclusively as a 3-door hatchback. Power output ranges from 90 to 109 hp across 2 modifications, and every version pairs a manual gearbox with rear-wheel drive. The most widespread version is the Renault 17 1.7 MT (1 generation), which uses a 1647 cc engine producing 109 hp.
Because the lineup never changed body style, transmission, or drive layout, choosing a Renault 17 comes down to engine output: the spread between the base 90 hp version and the top 109 hp version is 19 hp, which is noticeable in a car of this class.
Which Renault 17 to buy
- 1.7 MT (1 generation): the mass-market version of the lineup, with a 1647 cc engine producing 109 hp — the highest output offered in the Renault 17 range, combined with a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive.
On the used market, every Renault 17 is now more than four decades old, since production ended in 1980. With only one generation and 2 modifications, all sharing the same 3-door hatchback body, manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive, there are no cross-generation differences to weigh — condition and completeness of a specific car matter far more than the model year within the 1972–1980 run. The mass-produced 1.7 MT is the easier version to find simply because more of them were built.
Renault 17 specs at a glance
The Renault 17 (1972–1980) is a 3-door hatchback with a power range of 90–109 hp. The 1 generation, the only one produced, includes 2 modifications, all with a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive. The top engine is the 1647 cc unit in the Renault 17 1.7 MT (1 generation) rated at 109 hp. No automatic transmission and no front- or all-wheel-drive versions were offered, so every Renault 17 on the market follows the same mechanical layout, which keeps the choice between versions simple and makes the 109 hp 1.7 MT the clear pick of the range.