Battery size: 52kWh
Miles per kWh: 4.77
E-Rating™: A
Max charge rate: 100 kW
Range: 241 - 247 miles 
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Renault 4 – Introduction
The Renault 4 E-Tech is not without some seriously high expectations. Not only is it straight off the back of the Renault 5’s huge, but it’s also the successor to the original Renault 4 - a car that sold over eight million examples around the world over more than 40 years in production. It’s a part of French culture, and its remake has quite the job to carry some of the original’s no-nonsense charm and joie de vivre into a modern, electric crossover.
But that’s just what Renault has set out to do, and so we have the new Renault 4 E-Tech, complete with the same underpinnings and powertrain as the Renault 5, but the extended wheelbase and body makes the Renault 4 around 12cm longer, at 4.14m long. It’s only available as an electric car (there’s no hybrid or petrol version) and it’ll be offered with a 52kWh battery delivering a WLTP range of between 241 and 247 miles.
You can also get the Renault 4 Plein Sud, which – as Nic explains in the video she did when she went for a drive in it – gets a scrolling fabric roof. It doesn’t get much more Parisienne chic than that, does it?! I don’t think so. I don’t agree with Nic about the metallic Carmine Red on her open-top Renault 4 test car, though. I’d definitely go for the open-top Plein Sud, but in one of the brighter pastel blue or green colours. Let me know what you think in the comments on the vid.
Anyway, rivals to the Renault 4 include the Ford Puma Gen-E, Fiat 600e, Citroen e-C3 Aircross, Smart #1 and MG4.
As of late 2025, the Renault 4 became known as the Renault 4+. Don't worry, that little '+' sign doesn't really change anything. It denotes that the battery is sourced from a new plant – Renault's own factory in France, no less. The car's range, and every other aspect of its ownership proposition, stays the same, but the new battery means that it's more environmentally friendly, and that it's eligible for the full electric car grant of £3,750 from the UK government. That's a huge saving, and makes the Renault 4 a great buy.
The prices shown on this review do not include that grant deduction – they're the original, non-discounted list prices. You can find out all about the ECG, and see our up-to-date list of all the cars eligible for the grant, right here.
Range, battery and charging
The Renault 4+ comes with a 52kWh lithium-ion NMC battery that promises between 241 and 247 miles of WLTP range, depending on which trim and wheel size you go for. The plein Sud loses some 4 miles of range thanks to the aero and weight effects of its (granted, rather lightweight) 19kg roof.
Rapid charging peaks at 100kW, which is competitive with most rivals and will get you a 10–80% top-up in around 35 to 40 minutes. You also get vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging on every Renault 4 E-Tech as standard, which is great as it means you can use the car’s battery to charge any electrical device. Want to plug in a kettle on your camping trip? Now you can! Nice.
A heat pump is also standard on the Renault 4, which will help with cold weather running. We’ve been living with a Renault 4 in the British summer time for the last few weeks, and in warm weather above 25degC, we’ve been seeing some 4.6 miles per kWh (m/kWh), which is pretty efficient and will get you a real-world range of nearly 240 miles. In more moderate conditions, or on a cold motorway journey (which is the worst case scenario for an EV’s range and efficiency) you can expect that range to drop to around 160 miles despite the standard heat pump.
Practicality and boot space
Boot space is decent at 420 litres, with a handy 55-litre underfloor section for cables — unless you opt for the Harman Kardon sound system, which replaces that useful underfloor space with a chunky subwoofer that takes up that extra space. That’s unaffected by the fabric roof of the Plein Sud model, too, which is nice as it means you get great practicality as well as fresh air.
The loading lip on the Renault 4’s boot is low and the aperture is usefully huge, so loading bigger items will be easy, and it’s certainly a more useful boot than you get in Fiat 600e and Jeep Avenger – even if the Ford Puma Gen-E has even more boot space. There’s no frunk in the Renault, either, I’m afraid.
Rear space is a bit of a mixed bag in the Renault 4. An average-sized adult will be able to sit behind another without issue, but tall passengers will be short of legroom, and there’s no foot space beneath the front seats so it feels a bit cramped. The Plein Sud loses a couple of centimetres of headroom in the back, but that’s it. So, again – it’s open-top fun without much (if any) sacrifice to practicality.
There’s no centre armrest in the 4, but there are a couple of USB-C ports to keep the kids' devices topped up. The roofline is surprisingly low as you step through the Renault 4’s rear doors, too, so it’s a bit easy to clout your head if you’re not careful.
Basically, by the standards of a compact electric crossover-hatchback, the Renault’s rear seats are just fine – but they’re not brilliant. A Citroen e-C3 Aircross or Vauxhall Frontera do a bit better for rear passenger space, and if you don’t mind a bigger car, the similarly priced MGS5 is much more spacious in the back seats.
Don’t discount the Renault, though – if you’ve got chunky car seats or leggy kids to worry about, just make sure that you get to the dealership and try them out in the back seats before you make any decisions. It’s not the roomiest rear passenger accommodation in the class, but this is still a very practical family EV.
Interior, design and technology
Up front in the Renault 4, it’s charming and well thought out. The seats are comfy and have a decent range of movement, plus there’s electric lumbar adjustment that made a big difference to my creaky back on a fairly long route.
The dash is very similar to the Renault 5’s, which is no bad thing. Cute details like the 4 logo in the storage bins, recycled upholstery (except for top spec trims), flashes of colour and texture around the place – it all feels cute, tactile and generally well put together. It’s certainly more interesting than the interior in a Ford Puma Gen-E or MG4, by a mile.
And again – given that it’s only £1,500 more expensive, I would absolutely go for the Plein Sud! It adds loads of light to the cabin when you’ve got that roof scrolled back, which you can do even at motorway speeds, by the way. I just love it. Plus, you can have the open-top feel without the windswept hair. Winning!
Tech-wise, every Renault 4 gets a 10.1-inch central touchscreen with built-in Google Maps, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Physical climate control switches are a great feature, and I also love that you can dim the screen easily at night in only a couple of swipes on the screen.
The entry level Renault 4 E-Tech evolution trim gets a 7-inch driver display, but the 10-inch version on higher specs is the only one I’ve experienced, and it's clear and easy to live with. If I’m looking for niggles, the indicator noise is a bit too noisy and clip-cloppy. I don’t mind the noise, just make it a bit quieter, please, Renault!
I'm also slightly sad to see the gear selector here on the steering wheel once again – all a bit too close to the wiper stalk, really – which is one of the few things I don’t love about Renault cars.
As with the Renault 5, there’s a host of possible combinations of colours, trims and wheels and personalisation options – along with a range of 3D printed accessories.
The Renault 4 Plein Sud that we’ve driven out in France is only available on the mid and top techno+ and iconic+ trim levels, but that’s fine because those are the trims that almost all buyers will go for, anyway.
Motors, performance and handling
There’s no four-wheel drive version of the Renault 4, for now, although Renault bosses have told me that they’re considering it. I reckon that a little, lightweight four-wheel drive Renault 4 would be brilliant, and very in keeping with the original that was often the vehicle of choice for French farmers, so here's hoping...
Anyway, currently it’s front-wheel drive only, with a punchy 150hp electric motor that makes it feel sprightly and responsive yet appropriately moderate. It all just feels very right, with nicely weighted controls, easy to modulate pedals and a nice turn of speed when you want it. Handling is sweet, too, with balanced composure through the corners so that you can enjoy a fun country road with a dab of Sport mode, if you fancy it.
The 4 does have softer suspension than the Renault 5, and it’s a bit taller, so you notice body lean a bit more but it still doesn’t feel wallowy. Ride comfort is well damped enough to take the sting out of most road surfaces, so it’s certainly comfortable enough for an easy life even if you commute on scruffy town roads a lot, but you’ll notice bigger bumps and undulations. A Citroen e-C3 Aircross is more cushy, but the Renault 4 is more fun and just as easy to live with in terms of the way it drives.
The Renault 4 gets three levels of regen braking, plus a one-pedal mode, all of which is controlled via the paddles on the steering wheel provided you go for mid-spec techno. The top two regen levels are pretty unobtrusive, and all of the modes feel smooth and are easy to get used to. Even the one-pedal mode (which means you don’t need to use the brake pedal at all around town) doesn't feel grabby.
We’ve been out to drive the Renault 4 Plein Sud, too. There are no changes to the Plein Sud in terms of the way it drives. It gets the same battery, suspensions setup, steering… I mean, it’s a 19kg fabric roof, so why would they reengineer it? It drives just like a normal Renault 4, but with more sunshine.
Running costs and pricing
Pricing starts at £26,995 for the entry-level Renault 4 E-Tech evolution model, rising to £28,995 for the techno and £30,995 for the iconic. That’s really competitive with its main rivals, and Renault’s recent track record suggests resale values will be decent, too. PCP is okay - expect to pay around £320- to £380 per month with a £5,000 deposit, over a three year term, but that does vary.
Currently, the Renault 4+ (that's the 52kWh one, as of late 2025) is currently eligible for £3,750 off thanks to the UK's electric car grant – which makes it incredible value. The prices shown on our review don't include the grant deduction, so make sure that you factor it in while the ECG is still applicable.
Equipment levels are good, with a reversing camera ,18-inch alloys, air-con, cruise control and all of that touchscreen infotainment goodness included on the entry-level Renault 4 evolution. Mid-spec techno gets the illuminated Renault 4 grille, which looks brilliant and will be a big reason why many buyers will go for this higher trim, as will the adaptive cruise control. You have to go for top-spec iconic to get heated seats, but Renault will also throw in upgraded upholstery, a heated steering wheel and blind spot warning.
The ‘Plein Sud’ folding fabric roof is only available on the mid and top techno+ and iconic+ trim levels, and costs an extra £1,500.
Warranty-wise, it’s three years or 60,000 miles for the car, and eight years or 100,000 miles for the battery. MG, Peugeot, Kia and Hyundai will all do you a longer standard warranty, but Renault’s warranty is still on a par with many others in the industry.
It shouldn’t be too expensive to keep the Renault 4 topped up. A full charge at a home charger will cost roughly £15 on a standard domestic tariff, or check out our guide to the best home electricity tariffs to see how cheaply you could charge up! You could cut that cost by more than half.
It shouldn’t be too expensive to keep the Renault 4 topped up. A full charge at a home charger will cost around £13 on a standard domestic tariff, or check out our guide to the best home electricity tariffs to see how cheaply you could charge up! You could cut that cost by more than half.
Verdict
Whether you’re swayed by the nostalgic charm or the impressive tech levels, the Renault 4 feels more loveable than many rivals. The interior’s nice, it drives very sweetly and it’s good value for money – even if it frustrates the hell out of me that you have to go for the top spec to get heated seats. And the Renault 4 Plein Sud! I want one. So much. For such an affordable family EV, that simple fabric roof adds so much fun and cheeriness.
Overall, the Renault 4 E-Tech is a great all-rounder. It ticks all the sensible boxes while also having an abundance of 'just for fun' appeal. And we're all for that.
I loved driving the open-top Renault 4 Plein Sud! The scrolling roof gives even more of the charming, sunny attitude that the baby electric Renault is already great for.
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