VW has revived the original Bulli electrically, Citroën has revived the box duck and Renault is offering a whole range of retro BEVs with the Twingo, R5 and now the R4. On the sidelines of the premiere, old Renault 4s in cool paintwork and special shapes should not be missed. We therefore drove to Paris with a “not another retro car” attitude and were pleasantly surprised by an electric car that is far more than the sum of its classic car credentials.
Successful design
Because it doesn’t look as retro as Renault advertises its latest electric car. It borrows individual design elements from its namesake, but still has its own look.
The core elements taken over from the old R4 are the square radiator grille, which extends across the entire front and surrounds the round matrix LED headlights, as well as a third window at the rear instead of the massive C-pillars that are common today and the generally quite angular shape.
The gigantic wheels are completely different, making the new R4 look like a giant SUV – which, at 4.14 meters long and 1.80 meters wide, it definitely isn’t. The French national colors should not be missing, so that everyone knows where the car comes from. “100% electric and 100% French,” says Renault, and the car is built in Maubiege near the Belgian border. There is actually a lot that is typically French about this car, which could perhaps prove to be a competitive advantage.
On the one hand there is the fabric sunroof, which with its huge opening goes far beyond the size of normal sunroofs and certainly creates a convertible feeling, but also the plastic bumpers. In France, where parking is still considered a contact sport, painted bumpers are out of place and pliable plastic is cheaper and easier on the nerves.
Almost everything inside was done right
The R4 continues the homage to France in the interior with a baguette holder and additional tricolors. Nobody needs that, but it somehow makes the car endearing.
At first glance, the leather dashboard provides a hint of high quality that you wouldn’t expect from Renault. This continues thanks to the partial leather seats and fabric-covered doors, but cannot hide the fact that the workmanship quality could have been better in detail and the use of hard plastic could have been more careful.
Unfortunately, the steering wheel is completely overloaded with an impressive four (!) steering column levers and 15 buttons (for cruise control, driving mode and infotainment). This range of functions could also be displayed much more clearly. Nevertheless, it is commendable that the PRND lever has been moved to the steering column and no longer takes up space in the center console, as is unfortunately still the case with many manufacturers. There is still a start-stop button, so we shouldn’t expect a direct start when you step on the brake.
One-pedal drive is finally on board, in addition to three additional recuperation levels that can be adjusted using paddle shifters and an autohold function. There is a pleasingly large speedometer display behind the steering wheel, which can also show the navigation map. Apart from the crowded steering wheel, Renault has balanced the number of buttons well: not too many that it becomes confusing, but not so few that you have to spend ages searching for the mirror or climate settings on the screen. The cockpit appears quite tidy overall and the most important functions are still accessible blindly.
Four USB-C ports and an inductive charging cradle supply passengers’ smartphones with power. To ensure that they don’t get lost, there are smartphone pockets sewn into the front seats for the rear passengers.
Google makes the software
Speaking of smartphones: The volume buttons on the central screen are reminiscent of the rocker switch on a modern cell phone. It may not seem intuitive at first, but in times when more and more manufacturers are moving the volume control completely to the screen, it’s still commendable.
This also applies to Android-based infotainment. Renault has recognized that Google simply builds better user interfaces and consequently uses the Californian system. This runs quickly and smoothly, is logically structured and can access the well-known variety of apps. E-route planning is in the capable hands of Google Maps.
In the settings we discover a variety of assistance systems, which of course could not be tested in a static premiere. Among other things, automatic parking, autonomous driving level 2, driver monitoring and an emergency braking assistant are included. We only missed a 360-degree camera, but that will be added later.
Spacious in all places
The space available for the occupants is impressive. There’s enough legroom in the front anyway, but we were really pleasantly surprised by the back seat. There is a surprising amount of space in the back for a vehicle of this size. If you adjust the driver and front passenger seats a little higher, the passengers can easily get their feet under the front seats and there is plenty of legroom. There is also plenty of space at the top; the 1.80 meter tall editor still had plenty of air between his head and the roof.
There are only compromises in the sitting position, the hips are a little too low and the knees a little too high – the usual trick to save space. Nevertheless, it should be easy to sit in the rear seats even on longer journeys, in any case better than with various competing models. It also helps that there is no center tunnel installed, not even a very small one for the cable harness or anything similar – no, the floor is perfectly flat.
Three ISOFIX positions are the icing on the cake, as more and more manufacturers now only rely on two. This gives families more flexibility in where they can attach the child seats.
Big mouth, a lot behind it
The trunk is surprisingly spacious for the size of the vehicle. Behind the wide, electric tailgate there is an impressive 420 liters of cargo space, the shape of which is pleasantly straight and not very interlocked. Large holiday luggage fits well here, even a stroller is no problem. The loading sill is comparatively low at 61 cm above street level. Thanks to the foldable front seat, the maximum loading length is a generous 2.20 meters, so even long objects can easily fit. Renault demonstrates this during the premiere with a surfboard, but in everyday life it is more likely the Ikea shelf that has to somehow fit into the car.
The more we walk around the car, the more a slogan emerges that has actually been coined by another car manufacturer: “Simply clever!” Because many of the details on the R4 are really clever. For example, the basket for the underbody in the trunk, in which you can store the charging cable, or extra side compartments for small items that you don’t want flying around. We also noticed the stop button in the charging socket. It’s nothing special, but it’s often left out in cheap vehicles, which is annoying because it means it takes unnecessarily longer to complete a charging process. It’s good that Renault decided against this cost-cutting measure.
The trailer coupling also sets it apart from the competition, as until now only significantly larger electric cars could tow a trailer. Although a towing capacity of 750 kg is not a lot, it is enough for bulk purchases at the hardware store or a mini caravan.
Mediocre charging performance
As good as the first impression is from the inside and outside, the built-in technology from Renault’s “AmpR Small” platform is unfortunately mixed. The basic version has a meager 40 kWh battery installed, the “large” version has at least 52 kWh. According to Renault, a larger battery is technically possible, but is not currently under discussion. If the drive is efficient enough, that’s still enough for a real range of over 300 kilometers, and the 90 or 110 kW drive power is also okay.
What’s really a shame, however, is that the NMC batteries can be filled with a maximum of 80 or 100 kW using the CCS fast charger. For most competitors, 150 kW is more common in this battery size range. The R4 is well positioned in terms of loading space and passenger comfort, but the loading time is rather poor. This puts a real damper on long-distance suitability – unnecessarily.
Conclusion
The R4 is made to a higher quality than the French competition from Peugeot or Citroen and at the same time has the charm that many newcomers from the Far East still lack. Whether that is enough to prevail against Tesla or Kia-Hyundai with mediocre performance data will largely depend on the price. Unfortunately, Renault is still keeping a low profile on this; we won’t find out until the beginning of next year.
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