Renault 4 review

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The R4 is back after a 30-year hiatus as a no-nonsense and practical electric crossover

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Renault’s daring decision to reinvent the famous 5 and bust one of car design’s fundamental rules – ‘never regurgitate your history’ – appears to have been a masterstroke. The new, all-electric Renault 5 oozes character inside and out, it handles smartly and it is ultra-competitive on cost. It’s now the clear leader in a congested class.

The strategists at Renault’s HQ in Boulogne-Billancourt will be doubly delighted because they’ve had the chance to repeat the trick with another back-catalogue icon: the Renault 4, or simply 'R4'.

You’ll know the source material. More than eight million 4s were sold between 1961 and 1994, with production in places ranging from Wexford in Ireland to Antananarivo in Madagascar where, brilliantly, the little French station wagon remains the taxi du jour.

Where the original 5 was more about fun, the 4 was about practicality. It offered surprisingly good ride comfort on France’s war-torn country roads, as well as total utility. The need to maximise interior space is why the original 4 has a different wheelbase on each side; one of the semi-trailing arms on the rear suspension is mounted just ahead of the other, to prevent the mechanicals encroaching on cabin space. For the same reason, the gearbox is mounted directly ahead of the engine: no awkward transmission tunnel. The big boot opening also extends to the very base of the bumper.

The reinvented 4 isn’t quite so extreme in its pursuit of utility, and doesn’t quite match the original’s 22cm or so of fairly unregulated suspension travel (neither, frankly, would we want it to). Nor, at £27k or more, does it quite have rock-bottom pricing. (If anything, the 4’s true modern counterpart is the Dacia Duster.) But it does recapture to a fair extent the philosophy of its progenitor and is meaningfully different from the new 5, with which it shares a platform and nearly everything else. Is it similarly lovable? Let’s find out.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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In its positioning, the 4 is to the 5 what the Captur is to the Clio. At 4144mm, the newer car is 222mm longer than the 5 (but not any wider), with 84mm of that difference found in the wheelbase and plenty of the remainder in the rear overhang, with its chunky bumper and characteristically forward-leaning tailgate.

The two-box silhouette is of course now crossover-flavoured, with a propped-up ride height enhanced by tyres with a slightly greater profile than those on the 5, but it is unmistakably 4. Throwback details come in the form of circular headlights within an LED-rimmed, one-piece grille that references the original’s aluminium surround, introduced in 1967, and ridges along the flanks, which were introduced a little later. The rear quarterlight window is another reference to the original 4, as are the neat, lens-less tail-lights.

The paint colours on offer are much more pastel than those in the day-glow as the R5, but are just as distinctive
Murray Scullion
Digital editor

The underlying chassis is as per the 5’s, so developed by Ampere – the separate, comparatively agile business under the Renault Group umbrella that specialises in electric powertrains and software. The same modular platform will underpin the upcoming Twingo and uses the same front-axle assembly as the Clio, with a multi-link rear axle (no offset torsion bars here – they would get in the way of the battery) that is adapted from the 4WD Duster. The battery is a liquid-cooled 52kWh NMC unit. Its four-module design is simpler than that of the same-sized battery in the Zoe and the 30kg that saves drops the weight under 300kg.

It means the battery accounts for about 20% of the kerb weight, which was 1493kg on our scales – a modest 32kg more than the 5 we recently tested (and in an identical spec) and about as little as one could expect from a B-segment EV crossover.

INTERIOR

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While the original 4 was almost unbelievably basic inside, the new 4’s cockpit is nearly identical to that of the lauded 5, which is anything but. Here you’ll find a variety of playful materials and interesting ideas that, within the class, only the Mini Aceman attempts to match. Think ribbed stitching on the passenger side, puppytooth-esque pattern on the door cards, seats that wouldn’t look out of place in an original 5 Turbo (minus the lurid tones), and small bursts of colour dotted about.

The Mercedes-style gear selector is also finished with a crystal-like tip that has the Renault logo etched into it. It’s a bit of jewellery you might typically expect to find in a high-spec Volvo and would be even better if pushing it placed the car into park. (As is, it does nothing at all.)

The layout impresses too. The two higher grades – Techno and Iconic, which sit above the entry-level Evolution – feature a large, crisp, digital instrument binnacle that merges into the central touchscreen, but in a way that doesn’t feel overbearing. We won’t repeat ourselves too much because our comments in the Renault 5 road test also apply here, but it suffices to say the blend of physical and digital switchgear is well conceived. This is among the more intuitive cabins in the class when it comes to simple commands – skipping a track or turning up the fan speed, for instance.

Crucially, the driving ergonomics are good. The striking floating bolsters of the seats aren’t quite as supportive as the racy look suggests, but there’s a maturity and ease to the driving position itself that makes the 4 immediately relaxing once you’ve slid aboard. You don’t feel unduly perched, either, despite the presence of a battery in the floor.

Practicality is of course the area where this car offers notably more than its 5 sibling. At 375 litres, boot capacity is more than 30% greater than the 5’s, with a squared-off opening and a low, knee-height lip inspired by the original car. This is respectably capacious but doesn’t trouble the Kia EV3 (460 litres, and while the South Korean car is half a class up in the world, it’s priced keenly) and neither do the Renault’s back seats fold down flat, as the Kia’s do.

The 4 does, however, have useful cubbies that the Kia goes without, as well as stretchy fabric tabs for keeping smaller items in place. There’s also a 36-litre bin underneath the floor, which will typically be used for charging cables but has added versatility in being removable and easy to clean. Left-hand-drive cars also have the ability to fold down the back of the front passenger seat, liberating several metres of storage space – you might even slide a double bass into the car. Alas, right-hand-drive cars don’t get this feature.

Second-row space is probably the main reason you would buy the 4 instead of the 5. There isn’t an overabundance of knee room, but there’s enough to make the place habitable for adults for more than very short journeys, which isn’t true of the 5. Renault has successfully squeezed every millimetre of head room out of this package by using a thin, domed trim for the roof, and passengers can easily get their feet under the front seats, which isn’t true of the Ford Puma Gen-E. It isn’t lavish back here but it is usable. An upcoming ‘Plein Sud’ version with a canvas folding roof will boost the sense of light and space further – at least when the weather’s good.

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ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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One of the few oversights in the 5 is that the powertrain offers neither a one-pedal driving mode nor a proper freewheeling mode. Presumably this was an easy fix, because the 4 does get rather an aggressive one-pedal mode. (Lifting off the accelerator causes the car to slow dramatically, until it reaches a complete stop.) From there, by using paddles on the back of the steering wheel, you can reduce the level of regen braking effect until you’re in what is close to being a true freewheeling mode, where the 4 coasts along happily under the power of its own momentum or gravity. As ever, it’s great to have the choice.

Elsewhere, the 4 is an intuitive device. The brake pedal is quite sensitive at first but you get used to that soon enough and can then enjoy its surprisingly firm feel. In a class with no shortage of spongy brake pedals, this counts as another pleasant surprise and a reminder that Renault cares about the details.

The performance is exactly what you would want and expect in a car like this. An 8.6sec as-tested 0-62mph time puts the 4 four-tenths behind its smaller, lighter sibling and just under a second behind the Puma Gen-E. Meanwhile, a 30-70mph time of 7.5sec isn’t going to blow anybody’s socks off but it’s enough to nab that overtake when you need to, or get up to speed on an awkwardly short slip road. It does the job and the 4’s turn of pace is about on a par in this class, at this price.

Staying in the electric sphere, going notably quicker entails spending a fair amount more on the likes of the £37k Mini Aceman JCW or the Volvo EX30. Yes, Renault makes an Alpine-tuned version of the 5 with either 174bhp or 215bhp, but we’re unlikely to see the frumpier 4 given the same treatment. Those who need a quicker take on this mini-wagon should wait for a potential 4WD version, which would add a second motor, this time on the back axle.

Performance aside, drivability is first-rate. Acceleration picks up crisply but not too crisply and there are no jarring synthetic powertrain noises. (You get barely anything, in fact.) It’s possible to vary the response of the powertrain by pushing the mode select button on the steering wheel but, honestly, this isn’t that kind of car and most of the time you’ll stay in Comfort.

If there is a slight blot in the 4’s copybook, it concerns emergency stops. Even on a warm day, the ABS intervention was rudimentary, although the outright stopping distance was similar overall to that of the Puma Gen-E. (Incidentally, both cars are shod with Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 rubber.) When we tested it, the 5 did better, even in much cooler conditions. Perhaps the difference was down to its Continental tyres.

RIDE & HANDLING

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As befits its more laid-back, less showy role, the 4 has a softer suspension tune than the 5 and, by our reckoning, the steering is just a touch calmer in its motion off-centre. The alterations are subtle, but combined with the bigger car’s higher centre of gravity and the extra metal in its wheelbase, the resulting character is different. Question is: is it still good fun?

Well, no. The 4 doesn’t have the crisp turn-in, the natural adjustability and the cheeky balance that all combine to bottle ‘fun’ in the way the 5 manages – and, for that matter, the recent Puma Gen-E, with its quietly delicious marriage of steering angle and roll, and that Ford-typical love of direction changes.

You can configure a setting where you choose which safety systems you want, meaning you don’t have to dive into settings every time the car restarts
Murray Scullion
Digital editor

But this doesn’t mean the 4 isn’t composed and satisfying to drive in a broad range of environments. It certainly has a maturity about it, helped by that independent rear axle. It steers precisely and is perfectly easy to place. And while it doesn’t have the agility of the 5, it does have plenty of natural balance, which allows it to claw surprisingly high cornering speeds from its touring tyres with minimal drama. As an everyday companion, we have no complaints about the rounded 4.

But how comfortable it is?

At this end of the market, comfort is less about beating your rival by a decibel or two on the motorway and more about the basics.

Are the seats genuinely comfortable in both the front and the back, and for more than half an hour at a time? Can the chassis lap up motorway work or are higher speeds a bit attritional? Does the car’s general manner have a confidence-inspiring solidity about it or is there an unsettling flightiness underwheel? Does the chassis continuously fidget?

In all these respects, the 4 performs more than adequately. On threadbare road surfaces, there’s a reactivity underwheel you get in all cars this size, but it is slight and in general the 4 cuts a refined figure. That little bit of extra sidewall in the tyre compared with the 5 also helps, and in a blindfolded test (not advised), you could be fooled into thinking the 4 hailed from the class above it, where the Mini Countryman Electric and Kia EV3 reside.

It has that level of composure about it, particularly on winding country roads, where it makes reassuringly effortless progress and resists the sort of roll and float that can make small cars a real chore when you’re out of town.

As for noise, seeing that we have mentioned it, the 4 is quieter at a 70mph cruise than both the 5 and the Puma Gen-E. And, for that matter, the larger, plusher Kia EV3. Chapeau, Renault.

 

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MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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The range starts at £26,995 for the comparatively basic Evolution (which doesn’t come with Google service integration), rises to £28,955 for Techno trim and tops out at £30,995 for the Iconic model tested here.

It means that, sticking rigidly within its class, the Renault undercuts the Jeep Avenger and the Ford Puma Gen-E but not the Vauxhall Mokka. Of course, the 4’s charm and ability also mean it will be cross-shopped with larger cars such as the Mini Countryman Electric and Kia EV3, as well as Volvo’s EX30, all of which it undercuts considerably, with few trade-offs in terms of equipment.

All three trim levels come with a heat pump, which is nice, but it’s a shame you need to pony up for the top level to get heated seats
Murray Scullion
Digital editor

So what does the 4 get? Opt for mid-ranking Techno trim and you get the full digital array, four USB-C ports, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors, plenty of ambient interior light combinations and upholstery made from recycled materials, as well as plenty more.

In terms of efficiency, the 4 did a little better than the 5 in all types of driving, though this is almost certainly down to the much warmer, more favourable weather on the day of its test at Horiba MIRA. Its everyday economy figure (a test that comprises a blend of speeds in the 20-50mph range, and a steady driving style) of 5.6mpkWh translates to a range of 291 miles, which is stellar, though not quite as stellar as the Puma Gen-E’s figure of 6.2mpkWh.

The efficiency of the 4’s powertrain predictably falls as speeds increase. Our tested car returned 3.3mpkWh in our 70mph touring economy test, for a real-world motorway range of 172 miles. For a car in the 4’s mould, with a relatively small battery, this is in line with expectations

As for charging, Renault claims a peak 100kW DC rate, and at 10% state of charge, our test was drawing a little more than that. Its charging speed was reasonably well sustained, only dropping below 70kW after passing 60% SoC. The weighted average between 10% and 90% SoC was 74kW, compared with 68kW for the Puma Gen-E. This is respectable performance from the Renault, though anybody who sees themselves using public charging regularly would be better served by Skoda’s Elroq 50 (from £31,510), with its 145kW peak rate.

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VERDICT

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That the Renault 4 – the quiet, ultra-utilitarian, semi-forgotten character from the 1960s – would be reincarnated in 2025 as a bubbly electric crossover seemed unlikely not long ago. However, once the decision to revive the 5 was made, offering a more practical sibling was obvious.

We suspect the resulting car is on course to have quite an impact in the circa-£30k EV sphere, trading a portion of the 5’s vivacity for useful passenger and luggage space, while retaining the smaller car’s sense of fun and imagination.

These are powerful attributes that the 4 pairs with fine everyday efficiency, a slick digital suite and the kind of easygoing drivability that has been a hallmark of French cars. Higher-spec models encroach on the patch of larger, more capable cars, but below £30k the new 4 is a very tempting option.

Richard Lane

Richard Lane, Autocar
Title: Deputy road test editor

Richard joined Autocar in 2017 and like all road testers is typically found either behind a keyboard or steering wheel (or, these days, a yoke).

As deputy road test editor he delivers in-depth road tests and performance benchmarking, plus feature-length comparison stories between rival cars. He can also be found presenting on Autocar's YouTube channel.

Mostly interested in how cars feel on the road – the sensations and emotions they can evoke – Richard drives around 150 newly launched makes and models every year. His job is then to put the reader firmly in the driver's seat.