Road tested By Hugh Maguire.
Pros:
Very practical + versatile.
Class leading interior design.
Great tech including built-in Google.
Cons:
Max of 100 kW DC charging lags behind rivals.
Rear seat space is tight for adults.
Tyre roar on coarse tarmac.
The original Renault 4 first saw the light of day way back in 1961. It had a very simple design philosophy. A small petrol engine, a boxy shape to maximise interior space while keeping external dimensions compact and it was to be inexpensive to buy and own while being able to traverse poor roads in rural France in reasonable comfort. It became a roaring success with over 8 million Renault 4’s sold globally until production stopped in 1992. Can this new R4 e-tech emulate that success?
I suppose then it is no surprise that Renault should revive the R4 name and give that original philosophy a modern twist particularly when just recently they did the same with the Renault 5 and that has become an instant sales success.
The new Renault 4 is only available as an EV and has two battery sizes available namely a 40kWh 120hp or a 52 kWh 150bhp version.
There are three trim levels, Evolution, Techno and Iconic. The model I am reviewing is the top of the range Iconic with the 52 kWh battery.
Interestingly the new Renault 4 e-tech shares all its underpinnings and electrics including batteries and motors with the recently launched new R5.
Renault are not the first to reinvent a previously successful model. Think of the success of the modern Mini, the Fiat 500 or the lack of success of the modern version of the VW Beetle.
First Impressions
I do like the style of the new R4. It borrows some key signatures of the original such as the round headlights (a rarity nowadays) and the upright almost cut-off design of the rear of the car. I like the way the Renault logo is illuminated and integrated into the front facia of the car while to the rear the upright light cluster is reminiscent of the original. So I think they did a pretty good job of creating a modern interpretation of the original Renault 4.
What’s it like inside?
Slip inside the cabin of the R4 e-tech and to someone familiar with the original there is not much here that reflects the past and maybe that is a good thing. The cabin of this Iconic version is very impressive with an excellent appealing design that looks good but functions very well too.
The iconic 4 model boasts a super digital drivers display and a 10.1 inch OpenR link central display designed in such a way that they look perfectly integrated into the dash unlike those horrible huge central screens on some cars that look like a late addition add on. Google maps is built into the system allowing you to integrate the navigation with battery management. I found this to be an excellent feature. For example when you enter a destination the route is calculated and the display tells you the predicted remaining battery charge for your planned arrival. This is a very worthwhile practical use of technology which I found truly useful. Apple Car Play and Android Auto are also supported wirelessly. An unusual but quirky little Avatar called Reno pops up on the screen waving his arms until you tell it to do something or go away. Thats kind of fun too.
Standard kit on this Iconic version is very good indeed highlights of which are, 18-inch Parisenne black diamond cut alloys, heated front seats, ambient lighting with 48 colours to choose from (this looks really cool) electric rear tailgate, keyless go, heated steering wheel, auto high beam LED headlights, and even hands free parking to name but a few. There is of course also host of ADAS safety kit. It is really good to see that Renault have a “My Safety” button which allows the driver to silence some of the more annoying audible warnings at the touch of a button while not disabling the active safety functions in themselves.
The fit and finish is really plush and feels of a high quality. Lots of soft touch fabrics, quilted padding on the dashboard and a nicely retro quilted roof lining.
Space up front is generous but the rear is quite tight for adults. My knees were firmly pressed up against the rear of the drivers seat when it was in the position I would set it for driving. So this is a four seater but a compact four seater in the rear.
The boot space is though is surprisingly good at some 420 litres or some 1,405 litres with the rear seats folded. In reality with the rear seats in place it will easily take two large family holiday suitcases and lots of soft bags proving surprisingly easy to load too due to that very low sill, a good design idea brought forward from the original.
The cabin then of this new Renault 4 really is a cut above its rivals in terms of standard equipment and indeed both quality and style.
Performance.
Renault quote a range of 400km but like all EV’s this is somewhat optimistic. I charged it to 100% and had a predicted range of 393km however I actually achieved 285km which though is not bad for a car that will do more urban work than ultra long distance driving. It actually proved very efficient with consumption at times in urban driving going down to just 15.3 kWh per 100km. Like all EV’s its worth remembering motorway use hammers the range. Use it about town and this 300km or so is easily achievable. Charging from 20% to 80% took 38 minutes.
Performance is acceptable, it is not the quickest EV but neither does it need to be. Overall performance is generally good.
Road Behaviour
The new 4 acquits itself very well on the open road. The ride can feel a bit firm over some poorer road surfaces but I find this to be a feature of most EV’s as the suspension needs to be quite firm to deal with the sheer weight of battery powered cars. It is reasonably quiet and refined though I did note a bit more tyre roar than I expected on more coarse tarmac.
One strange feature though is that when you come to a stop there is no P for park on the gear selector, rather you need to select neutral and then select the electric park brake. Strange and a somewhat awkward set up.
Hugh’s verdict
The new Renault 4 e-tech Iconic is one of the best value proposition all-round EV’s in Ireland today when you consider what you get for your money.
It looks great, is very well kitted out, proves versatile and practical and range is decent too for ultra urban use. At €33,995 this Iconic model gets my highest recommendation. You can shortlist it with confidence!