The new electric 4L is an “all-purpose” version of the R5 and will arrive in 2025, Renault said on Monday during its presentation at the Paris Motor Show. “Renault 4 is the benchmark living car, it is a true everyday adventurer, versatile as can be, at ease in the city or in the countryside, alone or with the family,” said Fabrice Cambolive, general director of the Renault 4. brand, during the presentation of the new model.
Round headlights, taillights, sloping trunk, canvas roof: this “R4” takes the shapes and some details of the original 4L, which sold more than eight million copies in more than 100 countries.
High on its wheels, but less “SUV”-style than the first concept presented in 2022 by Renault, this R4 will be manufactured from 2025 in Maubeuge in the North.
It will be positioned in the Renault range above the R5 from 2025, with 40 or 52 kWh batteries, which promise ranges of 300 and 400 kilometers. A new Twingo is also planned for 2026.
For Fabrice Cambolive, “Tingo illustrates Renault’s ambition to make electric vehicles accessible to all”.
Finding “a third wave” of customers
“All early adopters (first customers, enthusiasts) have already purchased an electric car,” underlined Gilles Vidal, design director at Renault, during a press presentation at the beginning of October. “Perhaps the second wave of customers was won with the Scenic (with more autonomy). We have to look for a third wave,” said the designer.
There was a “retrofuturistic balance” to be struck, so the “recognition elements” of the R4 were “treated in an ultra-contemporary way”, he said. And where an R5, also launched with great fanfare at the Paris Motor Show, is “a little more stylish”, the R4 must be “all-rounder”, commented Gilles Vidal.
The brand wants to reach families or motorists looking for a versatile car that is a little more spacious than the small R5.
The passenger seat folds at the front to form a shelf, the sill of the large trunk is low to sit on “when you want to have a picnic” and the corners of the bumpers are easily replaceable once damaged, explained Bruno Vanel, director of product performance at Renault.
