Renault 4 review: Retro icon revived as a family-friendly small SUV

The original Renault 4 of the ‘60s and ‘70s was conceived as a rival to the Citroen 2CV. This time round Renault has beaten its French rival to the punch with its revival of its small, family-friendly icon. The new 4 uses much of the same tech as the fabulously fun new Renault 5 – including pretty much the same interior – so the 4 is as great to drive as it is to look at.

Once again, Renault has done a great job of designing a modern car with retro cues that don’t look like a pastiche. The proportions of the car, with the trademark rear three-quarter window, are in keeping with the old car, while plenty of the design details bring it bang up to date.

The full-width plastic grille is illuminated to mimic the chrome grille of the old car, while tiny LEDs mark out the circular headlights. The rear lights also hark back to the old model, as do the three ridges that run along the sides of the car that look like the protection on the original. Plenty of beefy cladding and big wheels also give the car a bit of an SUV feel.

However, in spite of the longer wheelbase and greater ground clearance for that faux 4x4 look, the new Renault 4 isn’t as family-friendly as we’d like. It all comes down to rear space – and in the shape of something like a Citroen C3 Aircross you can get much more for less money. The Citroen might not go as far – yet – but you’ll be much more comfortable in it.

Headroom is fine in the 4, but kneeroom isn’t exactly generous and there’s no room under the front seat for you to put your feet. That’ll likely make it as uncomfortable for kids as it will for adults. The door opening isn’t exactly generous either – okay in width, but a little shallow so older folk may struggle and getting a child into a child seat won’t be that easy, either.

It’s all a bit of a shame really, as the 4 is just as characterful and colourful as the new 5 – it’s good to drive with a firm yet mostly comfortable ride, the tech on board is superb and it’s built nicely. The range is okay, charging speeds are okay and the prices are okay, too.

If you’re rear seat use is occasional, then the Renault 4 will be fine. But unless you need the 4’s bigger boot, you might as well save your cash and go for the two-grand cheaper Renault 5.

How we tested

We spent a couple of days on the international launch of the Renault 4 driving it around the towns, country lanes and motorways of northern Portugal. We rode in the back, played around with the seating configurations, parked it at the supermarket and drove it as we would expect you would if you were buying it.

Independent rating: 8/10

Renault 4 specs

Battery, range, charging, performance and drive

Most Renault 5 customers are going for top-spec cars with the bigger battery, so the bigger 52kWh battery is the only one on offer in the new Renault 4. With a maximum claimed range of 247 miles, that will be plenty for most people using what is a small SUV. If you need a quick charge and can find a suitable fast charger, the 4 will top up at 100kW. Renault says the car will go from 15 to 80 per cent in around half an hour – again a reasonable if not outstanding speed. As with other Renaults, every 4 gets an on-board heat pump to improve efficiency and cabin heating during cold spells.

Although the Renault 4 uses a stretched version of the 5’s AMPR platform, it feels very similar on the road. So that means a nicely judged ride – you can get softer from a Citroen C3 or C3 Aircross, but you can also get a lot firmer. You’ll certainly feel the worst lumps and bumps in the road, as we did in Portugal, but you won’t be complaining. It feels a touch firmer in the back with rear passengers sitting so close to the rear wheels, but again it’s easily comfortable enough.

The steering is nicely firm and responsive – and will be beefed up slightly if you cycle through the drive modes to get to Sport – while there’s not too much body roll through corners, which is impressive given the 4’s raised roof and ride height.

Acceleration is swift and on par with some hot hatches of old, with a 0-62mph time of 8.2 seconds bringing a smile to your face when you’re behind the wheel. Slowing down can be fun, too, as this is the first Renault to feature full one-pedal driving, which slows the car to an eventual stop when you lift off the accelerator.

However, Renault is persevering with its gear selector setup, which sits behind the steering wheel and does without a park setting. Instead you have to nudge the lever up or down to select neutral, then operate the parking brake in the centre console. We prefer a solution where you select park and the brake then automatically gets applied.

Visibility out is okay. The windscreen – like on the Renault 5 – is a little shallow although the side windows feel deeper. The view rearward is hampered by rear headrests on the back seat and we noticed similar wind noise issues on the 4 as we did on the 5 – just a gentle rustle around the door edges that make you occasionally check that all the windows are wound up.

Interior, practicality and boot space

The Renault 4’s front cabin is near identical to the Renault 5’s, which is a good thing. The quality is impressive at the price, but it’s the sense of style and retro themes that are the real stars. The seats feature a little more padding than in the 5 for added comfort, and they do feel great. However, if you’re in the back, the front seats sit so low there’s nowhere for you to slide your feet forward, making the foot area in the rear a little claustrophobic.

Renault says the back will take three passengers, but they’ll have to be narrow-hipped. This isn’t an especially wide car. Knee room is no more than okay; it’s hardly generous and rear passengers may find their knees pressed into the back of the front seat if the driver is tall. Headroom is fine though, even in the car with the ‘plein sud’ (which stands for due south) roll-back canvas roof.

That fancy roof, which opens electrically to reveal a 92cm view of the sky, gives the 4 a real convertible feel. It’s an option on the two top-spec cars and likely to cost around £1,500. You’re also unlikely to get a car with the sunroof fitted much before the end of the year, by which time you’ll be hoping that its multi-layer fabric keeps the car toasty inside.

As well as limited rear space, the door openings at the back are a little shallow, making ingress a little tricky for taller adults and potentially when fitting children into their child seats.

What the 4 does offer is a good size boot with 420 litres of space, rising to 1,405 litres if you flip the rear seats down. There’s storage space under the boot floor and a good amount of cubby holes inside the car, too. Sadly, the UK doesn’t get the flip-down front passenger seat that helps with longer loads. On the Portuguese coast, Renault showed how a surfboard could fit inside the car, but Cornish surfers won’t get that opportunity.

Technology, stereo and infotainment

Renault has upped the tech count in the 4 with a few new features, including alerts for all passengers when opening the doors if the car senses a danger coming from behind. Otherwise, it’s much as before, with twin 10in digital screens – one for driver information (that’s 7in in the entry-level Evolution trim level) and one that’s Google-powered for infotainment.

It’s one of the best systems you’ll find in a small car with excellent ‘hey Google’ voice control, plus Renault’s own virtual assistant with the wake phrase ‘hey Reno’. That enables you to open the windows or the sunroof, as well as more of the car’s functions than ‘hey Google’ can manage alone. You can sync your home Google life with your car but never fear if you’re an Apple fan as wireless CarPlay is standard. There’s a wireless phone charger in the centre console, too.

As with the 5, there’s a row of fast keys beneath the vents that sit under the screen for major heating and ventilation functions, but the touchscreen also features some constant options on it, while the usability is first rate.

Like the 5, the audio system is merely okay. We can’t believe Renault still isn’t offering anything more premium for buyers who want it.

Prices and running costs

Renault has been working hard to simplify its range so there are only three trim levels available with the one 52kWh battery: Evolution, Techno and Iconic. Renault reckons that most buyers will go for the top-spec Iconic model, which should cost a reasonable £30,995 when it officially goes on sale.

The nicely kitted Techno model costs £28,995 while the Evolution, itself hardly sparce with kit including the standard heat pump, starts the range at £26,995. Renault says you can either have a top-spec Renault 5 or a mid-spec Renault 4 – the bigger car with the lower number adding a £2,000 premium over the award winner.

Running costs should be on par with the 5, so pretty reasonable with a claimed maximum efficiency of very close to four miles per kWh.

Renault 4 rivals

FAQs

How long does it take to charge?

With a 100kW fast charger, the Renault 4 can charge from 15 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes.

How much does it cost - is it worth it?

The Renault 4 is priced from just under £27,000 to just under £31,000. However, the fabulous full-length fabric roof which you’ll want is likely to add another £1,500 to that.

Does Renault replace batteries for free?

The batteries come with a full eight-year warranty, as long as the car has been properly maintained during that time

The verdict: Renault 4

I really thought I’d love the Renault 4 more than the Renault 5. But good though the 4 is, I’m disappointed with one thing: space. As the purported family-friendly face of Renault’s retro range, it lacks rear room. If you’re old enough for your feet to find the floor, there’s no space under the front seats to put them, while kneeroom isn’t exactly generous. The boot is big though, and the 4 has the same charm and characterful drive as the 5.