Renault 4 spied ahead of Paris Motor Show reveal

While Renault is in the midst of its ‘Renaulution’ plan, it is very much looking to its past for inspiration, as is shown by the upcoming all-electric Renault 4. The new 4, as with the Renault 5 revealed earlier this year, will borrow plenty of traditional design cues from the original car to help it stand out in the electric hatchback sector. 

We won’t have to wait long until the new Renault 4 drops the camouflage used on this test car. Renault has confirmed the 4 will make its world premiere at the 2024 Paris Motor Show, although we’ve already seen it in concept form as the 4Ever Trophy that was shown at the 2022 Paris Motor Show. We’ve also seen patent images that give a general idea of how the car might look when the production version arrives.

The Renault 5 ended up looking very similar to the concept that preceded it, and although we expect the styling to be toned down for the roadgoing model, the production Renault 4 should also closely mirror the chunky 4Ever Trophy.

How will the new Renault 4 look?

The Renault 4 will follow on from the recently revealed 5, which uses retro styling based on the classic Renault 5 from the 1970s. The classic 4 had a unique design and the new model will likely have plenty of nods to that old model, including a boxy hatchback-like shape, although it’s going to be more of an SUV than the retro model.

This will mean the ride height will be greater than that of the 5, which it will share a lot of parts with, thanks to the common platform. We expect 18-inch wheels at least, plus a similar interior, with 10-inch infotainment screens and funky materials and colours.

Our latest spy shots of the Renault 4 show a few more classic design traits - including the swept-back rear passenger windows (though we don’t expect an extra window behind them as per the original Renault 4). Vertical rear lights will ape the old Renault 4’s design, just like the new Renault 5’s, and the Renault 4’s popularity as a more utilitarian offering is hinted at by the fixed roof rails.

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Short overhangs and an upright front-end look is noticeable on this prototype. Expect a very upright rear end, a raised ride height and short overhangs front and rear. It’s highly likely that the car will use the same motors and batteries as the 5, which means it should have a range of up to around 240 miles.

You can read more about the car’s expected range, batteries, powertrain and more below in our guide to the new Renault 4 EV.

Renault 4 price and release date

Somewhat confusingly given the numbered names, the Renault 4 is likely to be more expensive than the 5 – think of it as being the Captur to the 5’s Clio. The Renault 5 is likely to cost from around £30,000, so expect the Renault 4 prices to be a little more expensive: possibly around £35,000 depending on what specifications are available in the UK at launch.

While Renault hasn’t announced a release date or any prices for the new 4 just yet, we can expect more information when the car makes its debut in Paris this October. We do know the new Renault 5 will be launched in early 2025 though, so we expect the 4 to follow a little later in the year.

What do we know about the Renault 4's platform, batteries and range?

The Renault 4 will use the same AmpR Small platform as the new 5, a set-up designed exclusively for electric cars and co-developed with intelligent electric vehicle specialist Ampere. While the R5 is front-wheel drive only, the Renault 4 may also get a 4x4 model, because it’s a more SUV-like car. 

The Renault 5 features two battery options: 52kWh and 40kWh, with 186 and 249 miles of range respectively (estimated). These battery options are highly likely to be the same in the Renault 4, since the cars will be closely related under the skin. However, the 4 is a bit larger and probably heavier – especially the expected 4x4 version – so the range figures will be a little lower.

We can also expect to see up to 100kW charging for the larger-battery model, which allows a quick top-up in half an hour from 15 to 80 per cent charge. It’s likely that vehicle-to-grid (V2G) compatibility will be available here too, as on the R5.

What kind of performance and drive can we expect?

It’s possible that both the 121bhp and 148bhp electric motors from the R5 will appear in the Renault 4, which have 224Nm and 244Nm of torque respectively. That should be plenty for most drivers, although we do also expect to see a four-wheel-drive version as well.

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Since electric cars use twin motors rather than transfer boxes to achieve that, the version with 4x4 is likely to have more power than the front-wheel-drive models, thanks to the extra motor on the rear axle.

The Renault 5 can go from 0-62mph in less than eight seconds in 148bhp form, and the R4 should be a little slower in equivalent forms, but perhaps a little faster to the 62mph mark in four-wheel drive guise.

We’ve heard that the Renault 4 will use a multi-link back axle to accommodate the rear motor, but this set-up will also allow for better suspension travel as well. The 4Ever concept car was clearly an off-roader, so it’s possible the production version will have some capability there, similar to the rival Jeep Avenger.

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