Introduction
The original Renault 4 launched in the 1960s and it was simple and functional, marketed as a car for everyone – man or woman, whether you lived in the city, the countryside, or somewhere in between. It was even a race car, coming second in the 1979 Paris-Dakar Rally. Think of it as the blue-jeans of the car world; it’s that level of all-round versatility.
Now, some 60 years later, it’s back! And instead of a little four-cylinder engine like you got in the original, you get a choice of two batteries – a 40- or 52kWh pack with a WLTP range of 186- or 249-miles respectively.
But, today’s car market is seriously competitive, and electric cars have to come up with something special to stand out. That’s especially the case for the Renault 4, which is slotting into a very competitive corner of the market – the compact electric crossover. There are loads of them… The Kia EV3, Citroen e-C3 Aircross, Smart #1, Peugeot E-2008, Volvo EX30 and more, not to mention hatchback alternatives like the MG4.
Styling and dimensions
Now, confusingly, the 4 isn’t smaller than the Renault 5 as you may expect. It’s based on the same ‘AmpR’ platform, but that’s been tweaked to make the Renault 4 12cm longer and 8cm wider than the 5, at 4.14m long and 1.8m wide (not including the mirrors). That puts it more in line with those compact-SUV and hatchback alternatives that we’ve already mentioned.
As you’d expect, the 4 does share 68% of its components with the 5, which helps to keep costs down. We were chatting about these kinds of ‘Mum’ cars – and I say that as a Mum, myself – on our podcast recently, and we were generally having a moan about the fact that a lot of them look a bit boring. But nobody can accuse the Renault 4 of that- the French do style well, don’t they?
I love the oblong grille with its round LED headlamps – a nod to the original, of course. The Renault 4 also features the world’s first one-piece illuminated grille, and it’s the first time the Renault logo has been illuminated. It’s unusual to see the cut line on the front bonnet, which is also there to remind you of the original.
The back is ace, too: I love the 4 logo here on the tailgate and do you remember the 4L’s had three-part pill-shaped tail lights. They are still there, still upright but again – more modern. And it gets the trademark quarter windows positioned above the rear wheels, which was one of the original Renault 4’s instantly recognisable hallmarks. There’s a nod to the original roof shape with that spoiler, and there’s a sticker that stretches from the windscreen’s sides to the wheel arches for a hint of the original Renault 4’s front wings. It’s practical, too; the corners are changeable if you get scratches and dinks when parking.
And how about that two tone paint – it looks great and is an option along with a choice of seven colours. But it’s also clever. It’s been sprayed on using a new robot, which is very fast and requires less energy and less paint than before, and also eliminates the use of plastics. Using this robot will basically save eight tonnes of plastic and 12 tonnes of paint every year in the production of the Renault 4.
And how about the scrolling ‘Plein Sud’ canvas roof, which scrolls back the full length of the car? That’s a really sweet touch, I think, and something that nothing else in this class offers. All the fun of a convertible, only in a functional four-door hatchback.
So, there are loads of really cute details and, generally, it is pretty striking and very cool. But, having said that, does it look overly fussy from some angles? Maybe… I really do love the front of the car, but I’m not as keen on the rear three-quarters.
Interior
In terms of tech inside here, the Renault 4 doesn’t disappoint, but it doesn’t lead the pack either. The first screen facing the driver is a 10.1-inch digital instrument panel (you get a smaller, 7 inch version on entry-level models). More importantly, the central touchscreen measures 10″ on all versions and features the OpenR Link system with Google built-in, so you get Google maps and other apps, over-the-air software updates, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It works well, and having Google maps (which I think most of us are very familiar with) is really nice feature, as is the car’s accurate battery prediction tech, which tells you how much battery charge you’ll have when you arrive at your destination. It’ll also find nav routes for you that factor in the best charging stop, and the time it’ll take to top-up, which is another useful feature! More than that, it’s got proper, physical air-con buttons, which is always a good thing.
Like other Renaults, you get a stack of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems – an impressive 26 of them, including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and (from the mid-spec and up) adaptive cruise control. There’s also the ‘Reno’ AI avatar to help you, although we haven’t had much of a chance to use it yet so we’ll hold of on judging what it’s like until we’ve used it in the real world.
I am slightly sad to see the gear selector here on the steering wheel once again – all a bit too close to the indicator stalk, really – which is one of the few things I don’t love about Renault cars.
Like the Renault 5, there’s a host of possible combinations of colours, trims and wheels and personalisation options – along with a range of 3D printed accessories including, of course, a baguette basket.
Boot space
Boot space matters when it comes to cars like this; they need to swallow up the pushchairs, scooters, bikes and bags that inevitably accompany family life. It may be slightly larger than the Renault 5 E-Tech’s boot, but this increase in size doesn’t translate into significantly more space or versatility compared to other compact electric cars in the class. Boot space is good, at 420-litres, so it’s larger than the space on offer the EX30 (although that isn’t hard), but it can’t compete with roomier Kia EV3. I do like the lowered load lip, and there are some clever storage options – along with foldable rear seats, and even the ability to fold the front passenger seat flat, which is a first for a Renault electric vehicle. But not something we haven’t seen before.
As hard as I looked I couldn’t find anywhere to store the cable. There is a cubby beneath the boot floor for cable storage, but the car that I looked around at Paris had the Harman Kardon sound system, which means that you lose that space, so remember that if you’re thinking of splashing out on the upgraded sound system.
Battery, charging and efficiency
When it comes to performance, there are two versions available: a 121bhp model with a 40 kWh LFP battery and a 148bhp model with a 52 kWh li-ion NMC battery – incidentally the motor has no permanent magnets and it uses no rare earths. The range is decent, with around 186 miles official WLTP range for the smaller battery, and just under 250 for the larger one – much the same as you get with the Renault 5, predictably!
When it comes to speed 0-60 takes 8.5 sec and it has a top speed limited to around 95mph. But that won’t be your priority if you’re after a car like this, and if it’s anything like the Renault 5 then it’ll be nippy and quick off the mark, and you’ll be able to get one-pedal brake regen’ mode on some Renault 4 models, which is good as the regenerative braking on the 5 disappointed slightly when I drove it.
The 4 also has a turning circle of 10.8m for easy driving and U-turns on city streets, and I’m told that the suspension on the Renault 4 has been set up to give a smooth ride, as comfort is definitely the priority for the Renault 4.
Rapid charging tops out at 80 kW for the 40kWh battery, and 100 kW DC rapid charging for the 52kWh battery. AC charging peaks at 11kW, but a full top-up from a 7kW home charger (which most Renault 4 buyers will rely on for routine charging) will take around six- to nine hours. You also get bi-directional charging, so that you can feed energy back into your home or the grid, and there will be vehicle-to-load charging so that you can power your electrical devices from the car’ high voltage battery when you’re out and about.
Price and equipment
Prices and final equipment levels haven’t been announced yet, but it will sit between the Renault 5 and the Megane so we’re expecting it to start at around £28,000 for the smaller batter Renault 4 – going up to £35,000. Equipment levels will be very much in-line with the Renault 5, so entry-level Evolution will only be available with the 40kWh LFP battery, and will get a decent kit list including alloy wheels, keyless entry and climate control. The mid-spec Renault 4 Techno will be the more popular option as it’ll get the option of either battery, as well as adaptive cruise control, the bigger driver’s readout, reversing camera and many of the style features that buyers will be after. The top-spec Renault 4 Iconic will add more ‘big car’ features like lumbar adjustment, 360-degree reversing camera, heated steering wheel and more.
Verdict
And this is where I think the problems start for the 4 – the price. As I said, this is a very competitive corner of the market. The 4 is up against cars like the EV3 which starts at £32,995 and is good for 267 miles on a single charge, spend £35,995 on the EV3, and that jumps up to 371 miles.
Those figures make the 4’s starting range of 186 miles look a bit underwhelming, and we know that range is still a decider for many buyers – especially those who are switching to electric for the first time. Having said that, the Renault 4 does look seriously cool and it’s got some great tech features, so if Renault can get the monthly prices right then I suspect this will be a really popular little electric family car.
Like the Renault 4? Try these…
