Renault 4 returns as a retro-styled electric-only crossover

Announced back in 2021 as heading for production in 2025, Renault used the media day of the Paris Motor Show on Monday (14 October) to unveil the reincarnated 4 ahead of its market roll-out in Europe next year.

Icon redesigned

Returning after a 30-year hiatus, the 4, officially called the 4 E-Tech, follows the same design method as the equally rejuvenated 5 by adopting a retro-styled appearance inspired by the original, but with an electric drivetrain as part of the brand’s Ampere strategy.

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Reimagined as a crossover-type five-door hatch, the 4, of which the original lasted from 1961 to 1994 in which it sold 8 135 424 units across five continents, rides on the same AmpR Small platform as the 5, with a reported 68% of components being shared.

4 vs 5

Comparatively, the new 4 is both longer and wider than the 5 with an overall length of 4.1 m versus 3.9 m, wheelbase of 2.6 m compared to 2.5 m, and an overall width of 1.8 m versus 1.7 m.

Standing 1.5 m tall, roughly the same as the 5, the 4 offers-up 420-litres of boot space versus 326-litres, in addition to having a raised ground clearance standing at 181 mm.

Made entirely out of recycled materials Renault claims makes it 88.6% recyclable, the 4 E-Tech’s homage to the original includes a rectangular but now sealed-off grille with an illuminated outer surround and round headlights with LEDs.

Unique to it is a first-time 18-inch alloy wheel option, black cladding around wheel arches, a rear facia with a passing resemblance to the Fiat 500X, and unlike the 5, a charging port mounted on the front wing instead of the bonnet.

In total, seven colours have been made available; Urban Grey, Glacier White, Terracotta Brown, Starry Black, Cloud Blue, Carmin Red, and Hauts-de-France Green Renault says pays homage to the Île-de-France Blue hue available on the original.

Nothing dated inside

Billed as a “vehicle for everyone and for every purpose”, the 4’s interior borrows heavily from the 5 E-Tech, with the only nod to the original being the option of a now electrically sliding canvas roof.

Again, made largely out of recycled materials, the 4 carries over the same dashboard complete with the 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system and the pair of digital instrument clusters measuring between seven and 10-inches depending on the trim level.

Along with the dash, the 4 E-Tech’s gear lever moves to the steering column and, as with that of the 5 E-Tech, can be engraved with a series of monograms unique to it.

Elsewhere, the same optional denim finish for the seats has been brought over as well, with this also applying to the centre console, air vents and the steering wheel.

New is the option of a Renault 4 monogram on the passenger side’s dashboard, integrated ChatGPT, the Hey Reno voice command that premiered on the 5, a nine-speaker, 410-watt Harman Kardon sound system and a range of accessories, including the clip-on wicker basket capable of transporting a baguette.

Unsurprisingly, the non-existent safety systems of the original 4 have been replaced by, amongst others, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Safe Exit Alert, Lane Centring, Post Accident Automatic Braking, Driver Attention Alert and Automatic Parking.

All plugged in

Its platform having been revised with different suspension tuning to the 5 E-Tech and its steering also recalibrated, the 4 E-Tech’s choice of powertrains mirrors that of its sibling, albeit with two options instead of three excluding that of the performance Alpine A290.

Omitting the entry-level variant means the base 40-kWh battery only has a single output of 90kW/225Nm, with the claimed range being 300 km.

For the flagship, the 52-kWh battery develops 110kW/245Nm, resulting in a range of 400 km, a limited top speed of 150 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 8.5 seconds.

Supporting DC charging up to 100 kW, which will require a waiting time of 30 minutes from 15-80%, the 4 E-Tech comes standard with an 11 kW on-board AC outlet Renault claims will take four hours 30 minutes to charge fully.

Capable of bidirectional charging means the 4 can power certain household items up to 22 kW while also feeding power back into the grid as a result of supporting vehicle-2-load.

Not for us

On-sale in Europe from next year as mentioned with pricing to be announced then, the 4 E-Tech has, unsurprisingly, not been confirmed for a return to South Africa.

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