First drive: Renault 4 E-Tech!

• Renault 4: Select's first drive
• Electric big brother to Renault 5
• SUV is Compelling all-rounder
• Due to be available to lease mid-2025
• Our writer Steve Fowler gets behind the wheel

Hot on the heels of the award-winning and already big-selling Renault 5 comes its bigger brother, but with a smaller number – the Renault 4.

Like the 5, the 4 is part of Renault’s retro revolution – or Renaulution as Renault insists on calling it. So, the new 4 has plenty in common with the original 1960s 2CV-rival but reimagined as a charming little electric SUV. It’s a sort of practical, modern-day tribute act with LED lights and USB ports.

There’s something immensely satisfying about the way Renault has designed it, too. It’s retro, sure, but not a try-hard pastiche. There are plenty of little nods to the original 4 like the ridged side panels and the circular LED headlights that are set into a wide plastic panel with a thin illuminated surround. Even the three-quarter rear window harks back to the 60’s icon.

Throw in a bit of more modern SUV cladding and big wheels and suddenly you’ve got a quirky urban crossover with just a hint of fake outdoorsy ruggedness.

The new 4 is based on a stretched version of the Renault 5’s platform, so under the skin there’s very little that’s completely new. That’s no bad thing, because the 5 is a cracking little thing to drive. The 4 shares a lot of its cheerful, lively character – it steers nicely, with a bit of weight and precision, and it rides just firmly enough to feel connected without being uncomfortable. You do get a bit of a jostle over potholes, especially in the back seats, but it’s nothing offensive.

The 4’s not what you’d call fast, but then again, 0–62mph in 8.2 seconds isn’t hanging about – that figure would’ve been considered swift back in the original 4’s day. There’s more than enough power to feel nippy around town and brisk on a country road.

Then there’s a very satisfying new addition: proper one-pedal driving. Ease off the throttle and it slows you to a stop without needing to touch the brakes, which is not only efficient but quite addictive. You can adjust the level of regenerative braking with paddles behind the steering wheel – which are set to be added to the Renault 5 in due course.

The only downside to the driving experience is the daft gear selector behind the steering wheel. There’s no ‘Park’ mode, so you must flick it into neutral and apply the handbrake separately, which feels more like an attempt at cash saving than forward thinking.

Where it’s all a little less impressive – and where, frankly, you might raise an eyebrow – is inside. At first glance, it’s lovely. The cabin is lifted straight out of the 5, and that’s no bad thing; it’s smartly styled – again with a retro nod, neatly trimmed, and full of clever touches.

You get twin digital 10-inch screens (although the entry-level car nobody will probably buy only gets a 7-inch driver display), wireless Apple CarPlay, slick Google integration, and an excellent voice assistant that responds to either “Hey Google” or the rather more endearing “Hey Reno”.

The seats are comfy with slightly more padding than in the Renault 5 and in the pricier versions you can spec a powered, roll-back canvas roof, which stretches almost a metre and gives you a proper open-top experience. Be warned, though, it’s a pricey add-on at around £1,500 and is unlikely to come to the UK until next winter – handy timing.

Things start to unravel a little in the back – it’s just not roomy enough for a car that’s supposed to be a more practical option than the Renault 5. Knee room is a bit tight, there’s no space to tuck your feet under the front seats, and while headroom is fine, three in the back will be rubbing shoulders unless they’re snake-hipped or children. At least the flat floor is a boon, but that doesn’t really help the lack of foot space.

Even getting in and out is a bit of a faff, with rear doors that open wide but with a shallow aperture – not ideal if you’re trying to wrangle a toddler into a child seat or if a tall adult’s trying to get in the back.

The boot, though, does score highly. At 420 litres, it’s properly generous, and you can fold down the seats to get over 1,400 litres if you need a weekend run to IKEA. There are handy cubbyholes dotted around the cabin, and although the UK doesn’t get the fold-flat front passenger seat you’ll see in some European models (so no surfboards inside, sadly), it still wins practicality points. We can’t help but think that a little less boot room and a bit more rear space would’ve been a better compromise.

Out on the road, it’s quiet enough – save for a bit of wind noise around the doors, much like in the 5 – and range is decent, too. You’ll get up to 247 miles on a charge if you’re gentle, and if you find a 100kW charger Renault reckons you can get from 15 to 80 per cent charge in about half an hour. That’s not bad, though not record-breaking either.

The trims are nice and simple – Evolution, Techno and Iconic – and Renault says most people are going for the top-end version, which lands at just under £31k. That puts it in competition with the likes of the Fiat 600e and the Citroen C3 Aircross – the latter offering more rear space for less money, though not the same kind of electric range just yet.

If you only use the back seats now and then – or have kids with smaller feet who won’t notice the lack of space – then the 4 is a compelling and super-stylish all-rounder. It’s got character – which many similarly-priced rivals don’t – and it feels like Renault’s really found its stride with these retro EVs. But if you were expecting the full practicality of an old-school Renault 4 with the gentle lolloping ride, you might come away a bit disappointed.

Renault 4 – At a Glance

• Model tested: Renault 4 Iconic
• Price to buy outright/rough cost to lease: £30,995
• Powertrain/battery size: Electric, 52kWh
• Power output/torque/top speed: 120hp / 225Nm / 93mph
• Range/charging speed: Up to 247 miles / 100kW max (15–80% in 30 mins)
• Fuel economy/CO2 emissions: 3.98 miles/kWh / Zero emissions
• Boot space in litres: 420 litres (1,405 litres with seats down)
• BIK/road tax: 3% BIK / £10 road tax (for 2025)
• Standard-issue kit: 10-inch infotainment with Google Assistant & wireless Apple CarPlay, heat pump, rear parking sensors, digital driver display, one-pedal driving
• Main rivals: Citroen C3 Aircross, Fiat 600e, Ford Puma Gen-E

** Steve Fowler is one of the UK’s best-known automotive journalists and currently EV Editor of The Independent and a regular contributor to The Guardian. He’s the only person to have edited three of the UK’s biggest car titles – Auto Express, Autocar and What Car? – and has interviewed the biggest names in the car world from Tesla’s Elon Musk to Ford’s Jim Farley. Steve has also presented documentaries for BBC Radio Four and is used as a resident ‘car guru’ on TV and Radio. He’s a World Car of the Year juror and a judge on both Germany’s and India’s Car of the Year Awards. Read more of Steve's work at stevefowler.co.uk.

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