The 1961 Renault 4 revolutionised the automotive market and went on to achieve emblematic status. It was Renault’s first family car with a front-mounted engine, and had no transmission tunnel so its floor was flat.
It became the par-excellence roomy and resourceful car for driving around cities and the countrywide, on weekdays and weekends, to work and on holidays. It was a car for its time and place. And it was an overnight hit: it became a people’s-choice car in more than 100 countries and Renault went on to produce over 8 million Renault 4 cars.
Renault 4 E-Tech 100% electric is as versatile as its predecessor. And, like it, right for its day: it is all-electric, instantly endearing and up to the minute. It is 4.14 metres long and the perfect B-segment stablemate for the 3.92-metre-long Renault 5.
Renault 4 E-Tech 100% electric uses the same AmpR Small platform, the underpinning engineered for best-in-class indoor space and uncompromising agility and comfort. Renault 4 E-Tech 100% electric will be made in Maubeuge, France, and reach the retailer network in 2025.
Today, Renault unveiled details of the Renault 4 E-Tech 100% electric’s exterior, in the buildup to its reveal during the Paris Motor Show on 14 October. These images focus on different aspects of the design, including:
Grille
The oblong grille has a precise, unbroken lit rim encircling the round LED headlamps positioned at either end. Renault 4 E-Tech 100% electric is the first Renault vehicle to feature a backlit emblem at the centre of its face – which instantly reminds you of its 1960s predecessor but with a techy, modern and original aura.
4 logo
A soft-sheened emblematic 4 on the tailgate showcases the car’s name.
Tail lights
Many people remember the 4L’s three-part, pill-shaped tail lights. They are still there and still upright but packed with today’s technology and revamped around contemporary aesthetic cues. They underscore the Renault 4 E-Tech 100% electric’s distinctive personality, and the shiny black outline adds a dash of sophistication.
Quarter window
Renault 4 E-Tech 100% electric still features the trademark trapezoidal quarter widows precisely positioned above the rear wheels – one of the original Renault 4’s instantly recognisable hallmarks – extending the side glass surfaces.
Door-sill sculpting
Calling to mind the plastic shielding on later 4L generations, Renault 4 E-Tech 100% electric’s sides have three parallel sculpted lines extending from the body.
Wings
A graphic stretching from the windscreen’s sides to the wheel arches hints at the original Renault 4’s characteristic front fenders.
Spoiler
The nod to the original Renault 4’s roof shape is unmissable. The spoiler at the far end of the roof adds a vibrant touch to the car’s silhouette.
Tailgate
The angle of the tailgate, which ends in a strikingly low loading sill, is one of Renault 4 E-Tech 100% electric’s hallmarks.
Bumpers
The 1960s chrome-plated bumpers and rubber buffers are gone, but the front and rear bumpers come with vertical overriders, in a tip of the hat to the original Renault 4.
Retractable fabric roof
You can cruise with the wind in your hair in Renault 4 E-Tech 100% electric – as in some of its namesake’s spinoffs. Its fabric roof pulls wide open and the feeling of freedom is unrivalled.
R4 R Pass coming soon for UK customers
UK customers, who are keen to be at the front of the queue for Renault 4 E-Tech 100% electric, will be able to sign up to the same ordering and delivery fast track as that first launched with Renault 5 E-Tech 100% electric. Final details will be announced when the R4 R Pass opens.
