The new, all-electric Renault 4 makes its world debut this week at the Paris motor show. It’s the second EV from the French brand inspired by older Renault models, following on from the well-received Renault 5. The original R4 was launched in the early sixties as a practical and affordable family car for the masses and the new one takes both design and practicality cues from it.
How big is the new electric Renault 4?
The new R4 is built on the same ‘AmpR Small’ platform as the electric Renault 5, but with a stretched wheelbase of 2,620mm (in comparison to 2,540mm for the R5), indicating that the Renault 4 will be more spacious inside. Renault reckons the R4 and R5 have 68 per cent of components in common.
In keeping with the original, the new R4 is tall and has useful extra ground clearance, too (some 12mm more than the Renault Captur, for example), though it’s not referred to as a crossover or SUV by its maker. Instead, the height is put to good use in terms of headroom for passengers, while the boot holds up to 420 litres (with 35-litre underfloor storage that can accommodate a charging cable). That’s more or less the same as you’d get in a Captur, yet the R4 is about 100mm shorter. In contrast to most EVs, the Renault 4 is quite light, weighing from 1,410kg. It’s rated to tow up to 750kg as well.
What’s the Renault 4’s range like?
It depends which battery you go for. The entry-level 40kWh unit enables an official range of up to 300km, while the 52kWh pack allows up to 400km. Both can manage bi-directional AC charging at up to 11kW (so it can power external devices or send electricity back the grid), while the fastest DC charging rates are 80kW and 100kW for the 40kWh and 52kWh batteries, respectively.
The battery packs are matched to different electric motors as well. The 40kWh pack is paired with a 120hp/225Nm motor, while the larger battery comes with a 150hp/245Nm unit, the latter enabling a 0-100km/h time of 8.5 seconds. All versions of the Renault 4 are front-wheel drive.
Talk us through the funky styling
There are loads of clever touches on the outside of the new Renault 4 that hark back to the original, but with a thoroughly modern twist. The ‘face’ of the car is unmistakable, with a large headlight on each side and a big, illuminated Renault diamond in the middle. This is all contained within a single full-width component featuring a continuous, illuminated surround, and its relative simplicity is appealing. More inspiration from the original is found at the back of the new car. The upright, oblong LED lights reference those of the original, as does the slope of the rear hatch and the distinctive shape of the rearmost side glass panel. The big, bold “4” logo is thoroughly modern, however.
Contrast-colour plastic for the bumpers and wheelarch trim lend the new car a rugged appearance, emphasised by roof bars and the corrugated detail in the doors. That’s another retro throwback, as is the option of a canvas roof that folds back electrically. Seven paint colours will be offered at launch, including ‘Hauts-de-France Green’, said to be inspired by one of the R4’s original hues from the 1960s. A two-tone finish with black roof and mirrors will also be available, while all versions sit on 18-inch alloy wheels.
Does the interior have any retro cues?
Not so many. Fans of the original R4 might lament the lack of a drive selector protruding from the dashboard, for example. Instead, it’s found on the steering column, just as in the new Renault 5. Indeed, the dual-screen layout of the Renault 4’s cabin is nigh-on identical to that of the R5. In front of the driver is a seven-inch digital display (it measures 10.1 inches across the diagonal in higher-spec cars), while a 10-inch touchscreen is standard across the lineup. The latter uses Renault’s ‘OpenR Link’ system with built-in Google software, cleverly pairing Google Maps with the charging needs of the car, for example.
The padded dashboard on the passenger side and in particular the shape of the seats are vaguely retro in style, though the materials are bang up to date, using recycled and bio-sourced fabrics. The grey houndstooth upholstery with yellow ribbon looks particularly fetching. Yellow is a signature colour of the car, found throughout.
Adding to the cabin’s versatility are a split-folding rear bench seat and a flat-folding front passenger seat. This allows for carrying an item up to 2.2 metres long.
How much will the new Renault 4 cost in Ireland?
The R4 isn’t expected to arrive on Irish shores until the middle of 2025, hopefully in time for the “252” registration plate change in July. Hence, pricing and lineup details have yet to be announced.