Renault, the 126-year-old, partly French state-owned car maker, has changed direction in recent years. Once it was remorselessly future-faced, with advanced and controversial ideas of what cars should look like, typified by models such as the Dauphine, the 16, the Espace, Avantime and Vel Satis and of course the original Renault 5. It’s now moving in a contrary direction with this year’s distinctly-retro Car of the Year, the electric Renault 5.
Under Luca De Meo, who was appointed in 2020 after masterminding and relaunching the retro-inspired Fiat 500, Renault has once again looked to the models we once loved for inspiration. And with the electric R5 occupying first place in retail EV sales in the UK, it proves that with the right car at the right price, European firms can take on and beat the Chinese.
Costing from £26,995, the Renault 4 goes on sale this July with first deliveries in September.
The name harks back to the phenomenally successful Renault 4 launched in 1961 and selling eight million globally in 30 years of production. This new R4, however, is much larger and a deal more luxurious than the charming but utilitarian original.
Homage or all new?
That hasn’t stopped the PR machine telling us how much inspiration came from that first R4, many of which can still be seen still working hard in the more rural parts of Portugal where the launch took place. The rear three-quarter window over the rear wheel, the full-length illuminated glass grille, the round headlights and the tailgate shape are all touted as similar to the old R4.
That’s as maybe, but the windscreen is the wrong shape, which loses the original’s naive and cute look; the stripped-out, utilitarian feel of the Sixties car is completely gone.
That’s confirmed when my wife calls me in the car on Apple CarPlay and Reno, the car’s super-annoying avatar, appears over the top of the navigation page on the touchscreen to listen in and won’t go away until I’d given it some choice Anglo-Saxon commands.
Add a litany of extras such as heated seats and steering wheel, powered tailgate, various driver-assist modes and one-pedal regenerative braking and you end up with a car which is as far from utilitarian as a Sultan’s palace. The truth is that Dacia is Renault’s utility marque; the new R4 merely plays with the idea for modern families.
As to the rivals, well think Fiat’s 600e and Grande Panda, Kia’s EV3, the new Mini Aceman, Citroën’s new ë-C3 Aircross, or the Jeep Avenger, another Car of the Year award winner.
Back in the day, the R4 was always cheaper than its better-equipped R5 counterpart. This 21st century R4 is the more expensive of the two, although comparisons are complicated.
The new R5 has a lower-power battery option starting at £22,995, which isn’t available in the R4. If you match battery size, not trim levels, there’s nothing in it; the 52kWh R5 costs the same as the starter-price R4 with the same battery at £26,995. Match the cars spec-for-spec and you’re looking at an additional £2,000 to move from R5 to R4, up to £30,995 for the top model Iconic, although a forthcoming canvas roof option will add another £1,500.
The running order
Under the skin is Renault’s Amp-R chassis also used in the R5. Unusually for this segment the suspension is all-independent, MacPherson strut at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear, which hints that a 4x4 option could eventually be offered.
The EV drivetrain comprises a 52kWh lithium-ion NMC battery, with a 148bhp/181lb ft permanent-magnet AC motor driving the front wheels through a step-down gear. Top speed is 93mph and 0-62mph achieved in 8.2sec.
Claimed efficiency is about 3.9 miles per kWh, although that doesn’t quite equate to the claimed maximum range of 247 miles. Portugal was warm and the route, though hilly, was gentle, which gave an efficiency reading of 4.2 miles per kWh, which means a range of about 218 miles. Tailpipe (spot the deliberate error) emissions are zero, but using UK electricity generation data, CO2 emissions are of the order of 27g/km.
The R4 will fast charge up to 100kW DC, which means a 15 to 80 per cent charge takes about half an hour. Using a household 7.4kW wallbox, a full charge takes almost eight hours. A heat pump is standard and the R4 weighs 1.462 tonnes (an original weighed only 600kg) and will tow up to 750kg.
Inside job
Although there’s an additional 8cm in the distance between the front and rear wheels compared with the R5, it’s not much wider and it feels quite snug inside. You’ll just about jam three grown teenagers in the back but they’ll be moaning within a couple of miles. The rear-seat backs fold 60/40 per cent on their bases to give a highly stepped load floor. The boot capacity is a healthy 420 litres (375 litres in VDA measure) with the rear seats up and 1,405 litres with them folded – there’s also a false floor with a 55-litre space underneath for the charge cables, while the top model Iconic trim has a powered tailgate. Of note, too, is the low load lip.
As mentioned, there’s not much utilitarian to the plush interior, with expensive-feeling fabrics over the facia and an angled twin screen comprising the instrument binnacle and the touchscreen. The graphics and control systems are straightforward, but occasionally distracting, while the Google-based navigation system misbehaved so I resorted to Waze to follow the test route.
The seats are plush, nicely upholstered and well bolstered. You sit quite high at the wheel, with good visibility to the sides but rearward views slightly obstructed by the rear-seat headrests.
On the road
No original R4 was ever this brisk. This new battery-powered version feels like a speeded-up chase sequence from a caper movie, not madcap fast, but a deal quicker than you’d expect, which makes overtaking easy.
It rides nicely, too, with a gentle, almost bobbing gait, with a bit of body roll which is ultimately well controlled; it feels as though passengers are going to be comfortable rather than queasy. That said, the 18-inch tyres will crunch through potholes and over the more pronounced sleeping policemen.
The handling is also well configured, imparting a sense of control and confidence that allows you to accurately position the car into a corner, it doesn’t create a drama if you find you need to apply a bit more steering lock. In fact, the R4 feels progressive and balanced if you push it hard through a turn. While that sort of fast driving isn’t what this car is intended for, it matches the spirit of the original which always seemed to be driven with some gusto.
The brakes feel powerful with a progressive-feeling pedal and a decent grab at the top of its travel.
And as with all Renaults, there’s a Perso button, which can be set up to eliminate some of the more annoying advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) aids with a double push.
In fact, it’s a really fine-driving machine and after four hours at the wheel I still felt comfortable and ready to carry on, which can’t be said of all its rivals.
The Telegraph verdict
There’s not a lot of the past in the appearance of this new R4 and in that respect at least, it lacks the gotta-have-it mien of the R5, which is reminiscent of its forebear visually.
Therefore the new R4 speaks more to the head than the heart, which is probably about right for what will be for many families their only car.
The family crossover market is looking for space and comfort before nostalgia and, in that case, the R4 delivers au point.
The facts
On test: Renault R4 Techno 150PS Comfort
Body style: five-door five-seat family crossover
On sale: July 2025
How much? £26,995 to £30,995 (£29,000 as tested)
How fast? 93mph, 0-62mph in 8.2sec
How economical? 3.9 miles per kWh (WLTP Combined), 4.2m/kWh on test
Powertrain: 52kWh gross lithium-ion NMC 622 battery pack with AC permanent magnet motor, front-wheel drive
Range: 247 miles (WLTP), 218 miles on test
Charging: 11kW on-board charger on board; 15-80 per cent on 100kW charger 30 minutes, 0-100 in 4hr 44min; 7.4kW household wallbox, 100 per cent in 7hr 47min
Maximum power/torque: 148bhp/181lb ft
CO2 emissions: 0g/km (tailpipe), 27g/km (CO2 equivalent well-to-wheel)
VED: £0
Warranty: three years/100,000 miles on car, eight years/100,000 miles on battery
The rivals
Jeep Avenger Electric, from £29,999
A former Car of the Year winner and available with pure electric and hybrid petrol/electric and with front-wheel drive or 4x4, the this is stylish and good to drive but not as comfortable, fun or as spacious as the R4. The 54kWh battery can be fast charged at 100kW and gives a 249-mile range.
Citroën ë-C3, from £21,990
Also available as a hybrid, this family crossover has a 44kWh battery using the more robust but space-hungry LFP chemistry so the 203-mile range and 100kW DC fast charging are far from class-leading. It’s great to drive though, with a terrific ride quality. The £23,095 e-Aircross is larger and just as good to drive, but the range is only 188 miles.