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HOW THE LEGEND WAS BORN Scan here to read our 1968 review of the facelifted 4 for free* In 1956, Renault CEO Pierre Dreyfus demanded a new type of car: for men and women, the city and the countryside – and “something with volume!” Six years later, the original 4 was born, and it went on to sell more than eight million examples. Autocar’s verdict? “Only the French could have designed a second car for people who do not have a fi rst .” grille, which also features a backlit front emblem – a fi rst for Renault . Nods to the car’s 1961 namesake include threepart rear lights, a roofmounted mini spoiler, vertical overriders on the bumper and three lines sculpted along the door sills. Similar to the original, the crossover can also be specced with a cloth roof. Design director Gilles Vidal said both the trapezoidal rear quarter windows and bonnet cut lines (referencing the original car’s clamshell opening) are “instant areas of recognition”. “The message is about its practicality,” he said. “We had to create a car around its practical nature so we did not betray the 4 name.” This is reflected by the 420-litre boot’s low loading level: at 607mm off the ground, Renault claims it ’s 100mm lower than rivals’. This allows for easier loading and also enables the boot to be used as a seat – another nod to the original. The boot features a host of cubbies, including a large (and removable) 35-litre underfloor bucket that can be used to store anything from dirty footwear to charging cables. “We wanted to stay true to the [original] Renault 4, but we wanted it to be super-modern and protected into the future,” he said, adding that the car needed to “have its own message” as “my kids don’t care so much about the [original] 5 or the 4”. As with the original, usability and practicality were key elements of the design brief, said Vidal. Inside, the 4 mirrors the 5 with a 10.1in digital driver’s display, a 10in Googlepowered infotainment touchscreen and a choice of cloth or leatherette materials, but with more head room and space than in the smaller car. That extra space is thanks to an 80mm-longer wheelbase than that of the 5, with which it shares the Ampr Small EV platform. “The 4 gets up to 148bhp and 250 miles of range” Renault says the pair also share 68% of their technical make-up, including electric motors and batteries. The 4 comes with either a 118bhp front-mounted motor and a 40kWh battery for 190 miles of range or a 148bhp motor with a 52kWh battery for 250 miles of range. It can be charged at speeds of up to 100kW. The 4 is the first Renault to be launched with a one-pedal driving mode, with paddles operating the regenerative braking level. It will be rolled out across the Renault line-up later on. Pricing has yet to be announced, but Renault has confirmed the 4 will be priced between the £23k 5 and £34k Megane E-Tech. This is likely to mean a starting price of just below £30k in the UK. Renault will launch a customisation programme for the 4, including an array of accessories and notably the ability to customise the drive selector. The 4 will be built at Renault’s ElectriCity EV base in northern France. UK deliveries will commence in July next year. WILL RIMELL Modern takes on the original include these three-part rear lights Another nod to the past: the 4 gets a distinctive cloth roof as an option N E W S A pair of 10in digital screens mirror those in the new Renault 5 Renault hopes striking design will help 4 stand out from rival crossovers OFFICIAL PICTURES te d a t i o n l i c a p u b f ro m w e e ks * Fo r t h r e e 16 OCTOBER 2024 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5

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