Inside Renault's new 'secret weapon' with retro styling, 250-mile range and low price

Relaunching a for the modern age can be a risky move. The and revivals of the noughties did wonders for both brands, whilst the and De Tomaso Deauville flopped massively.

has typically stayed out of reviving classic models. However, with cheaper competition from , the company is looking to their past to inspire its future.

In addition to the upcoming and , the Paris Motor Show saw the reveal of what the company called their 'secret weapon' in the world of EVs - the return of the Renault 4.

Built between 1961 and 1993, the original Renault 4 remains the fourth best-selling car of all time, thanks in part to its low price and running costs, a simple yet quite , and plenty of room for passengers and luggage alike.

To find out whether Renault's revival lives up to its legacy, I managed to have a poke around one of the examples on the company's stand at the show.

Styling:

The Renault 4 E-Tech serves as a compact electric crossover but has a lower, more supermini-like roof line. There are a few modern touches, such as black plastic around the wheel arches, painted alloy wheels, and a two-tone paintwork scheme, but the majority of styling was evidently inspired by that classic Renault design.

The front end, for example, features a black rectangular fascia that acts as a dummy grille, while the bottoms of the doors have ridges to mimic the rubbing strips on the high end Renault 4 GTLs of the late 1970s and 80s.

Another typically retro feature of the new 4 E-Tech is the optional canvas sunroof, a staple on the original. Push a button, and occupants front and rear receive plenty of fresh air. Whilst canvas roofs are never the most sensible idea in the cold climate of autumn in the UK, Renault has made efforts to cut wind noise.

The only styling cue of the new Renault 4 that I am not so keen on is the rear quarter lights. The trapezoidal design is another carry over from the original, however the decreasing roofline means it is a completely different size to the rest of the windows.

Interior:

Seeing how much inspiration the Renault 4 E-Tech took from the classic model, I was half expecting to find a dashboard-mounted gearstick for drive modes and a large shelf in place of a conventional glovebox. However, things inside the new Renault 4 are actually very modern, featuring a connected instrument panel and touch screen and, on the passenger side, a light-up badge.

The quality of the interior is also very pleasant, with the seats and parts of the dashboard coated in recycled denim and a black quilted textile, complete with splashes of yellow to help liven the interior up.

Nevertheless, for drivers who think the interior is a little too bland, Renault has also announced a sizable range of 3D printed accessories, mostly offering new storage compartments with different themes and even a wicker basket owners can use to store baguettes.

Practicality:

Despite using the same AmpR platform as the 5 E-Tech, Renault claims that the 4 is a genuine five-seater model. Whilst I would have reservations about travelling in the middle seat on a long haul trip, there was a very reasonable amount of legroom and width for a car of this size.

That said, when sitting in the front or back, I found that headroom was quite limited, causing me to slouch somewhat in a bid to feel more comfortable. I did, at least, appreciate the smartphone holsters, found above the standard map pockets on the front seat backs.

Nonetheless, the 4 E-Tech does boast a 420-litre boot - about 100 more litres than the Smart #1, but about 40 less than the Hyundai Kona Electric. Drivers looking for more space can also delve underneath the standard boot floor to find a 35-litre box that can easily be washed, and on left-hand-drive models, fold the front passenger seat to get 2.2 metres worth of flat load space - ideal for the odd surfboard!

Features:

The original 4 was hardly a luxury car - the high-end Deluxe version boasted features such as two windscreen washers and an electric fan. In comarison, the new model comes as standard with a 10-inch central multimedia screen (complete with Google and Renault's OpenR Link system), an additional 10.1-inch touchscreen on most models, and an optional nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system that was co-designed by master of the synthesizer Jean-Michel Jarre.

One of the more unique features of the new 4 is Reno, the company's latest voice-activated assistant. However, in addition to the conventional voice-controlled features, such as being able to switch on the air conditioning and change driving modes, Reno is programmed to answer the 200 questions most frequently asked by drivers.

These include how to set up various features, ways and means of improving range, and general motoring tips, such as changing a wheel. For any other questions, the system also uses Chat GPT and is accessible through a smartphone app.

Peformance:

Sharing the same platform as the Renault 5 E-Tech, the new 4 will feature a 52kWh battery made from nickel manganese cobalt (NMC). Compared to lithium ion, which is used for most EV batteries, Renault says that the NMC battery offers better energy density, resulting in smaller, lighter power packs.

The Renault 4 will be able to cover up to 248 miles on a single charge, about par with the Jeep Avenger and slightly more than the Volvo EX30. The new 4 will also take advantage of Renault's AC bi-directional charging system, meaning drivers can use the battery to power various appliances or even send unnecessary energy back to the grid.

However, unlike the original, which could barely scrape past 60mph, the 150bhp motor in the new 4 will accelerate from 0-62mph in a very respectable 8.5 seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 93mph.

Conclusion:

While a little more interior room would be appreciated, the new Renault 4 generally fulfils the same requirements as the original in providing simple and characterful transportation for all.

Given the interest from visitors, including French President Emmanuel Macron, there is no doubt that the Renault 4 E-Tech will be a hit with buyers in France. However, with a competitive price, I imagine it will sell favourably in the UK too.

Currently, Renault are keeping quiet about prices on either side of the channel, but a base model at under £28,000 is speculated. If it can be achieved, the 4 would undercut rivals from Volvo, Hyundai, and even MG.