Renault

Renault 4

With a nod to its rich heritage, the all-electric Renault 4 is a five-door crossover that oozes charm and character at every turn. It is packed with tech, boasts eye-catching good looks and delivers on the performance front too.

Test Drive

Renault 4 E-Tech – First Drive (2025)

There’s no denying the steep history surrounding the Renault 4 with it being affectionately dubbed as the ‘Blue Jeans Car’ due to its versatility back in the 1960s.

Fast forward to 2025 and we have the French manufacturer’s modern interpretation of the family car with full electrification, but there are still plenty of design cues that are a respectful nod to its heritage.

There is just one battery size fitted across the three-trim line-up and it does the job perfectly. The 52kWh unit is matched to a single-speed transmission and, with an electric motor, can deliver up to 247 miles between charges.

Customers can choose from evolution, techno or iconic grades with prices starting from £26,995, but thanks to the re-introduction of the Government’s EV grant, there will be a £1,500 grant to factor in, which is good news for potential buyers.

We opted for the range-topping Renault 4 E-Tech iconic costing £30,995 (before grant deduction) for our test drive and it certainly lived up to all the hype.

Design-wise, there is a modern slant on the popular model from the past. The five-door Renault 4 oozes charm with three-part tail lights that resemble its ancestor, along with a grille crafted from a single 1.45-metre panel (again like the 1960s car), and from techno grade upwards the outer edging is also illuminated.

Three distinctive lines are sculpted into the doors that resemble the plastic protectors once seen all those decades ago and when you factor in the 18-inch alloys, LED daytime running lights, roof rails, privacy glass and two-tone paint, this vehicle is guaranteed to turn heads wherever it passes.

Moving inside, the interior is bright, modern and packed with technology. The seats and dashboard are upholstered in black quilted material with striking flashes of yellow. Expect to find Renault 4 badging, some patriotic red, white and blue stripes, along with some tiny French flags too.

The 10-inch infotainment screen sits alongside a 10.3-inch driver information display behind a single curved panel and it looks really upmarket. The touchscreen offers access to a wealth of tech, including full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav with built-in Google Maps, Bluetooth, an Arkamys sound system, plus Reno which is Renault’s voice activated virtual assistant and can help with numerous tasks.

There are physical switches for the climate settings, and the battery charge level, existing range, speed and other vital driving data is clearly displayed on the driver’s screen behind the steering wheel.

And talking of the steering wheel, it’s a very busy set-up with a trio of stalks extending from the right side – a bit too crowded for our liking though.

The seats are manually adjusted, offer ample support and can be heated against the winter chill.

When it comes to performance, the front-wheel drive electric Renault 4 E-Tech delivers 150hp and 245Nm of torque resulting in a 0-62mph sprint time of 8.2 seconds and top speed of 93mph.

Our test car had a driving range of 247 miles and it’s a car that easily cruises at 70mph on faster dual carriageways or motorways. Although, spend too long at that pace and the range will drop considerably.

When faced with twisting B roads and country lanes, the Renault 4 displayed impressive grip with minimal sign of any body roll in or out of sharp bends. It was perfectly balanced and there are drive modes that are adjusted via a button on the steering wheel called Eco, Comfort, Sport and Perso. These alter the characteristics of the car with Sport proving the most engaging.

Additionally, there are steering wheel-mounted paddles that offer the driver the opportunity to adjust the strength of the regenerative braking. There are three levels to choose from and, in its highest setting, single-pedal driving is possible which is ideal for busy town centres with lots of stop, start traffic.

Driver visibility is generally very good, but large back seat headrests block out the view through the rear screen. There are however sensors, a reversing camera and hands-free parking to assist the driver when squeezing into tighter spaces.

The Renault 4 stretches 4.1 metres in length, is 2.0 metres wide and 1.5 metres tall with a 2.6-metre wheelbase. Those figures result in a deceptively spacious cabin with room for a couple of six footers up front. Rear legroom is tighter, although adults would be able to endure shorter journeys without too much fuss. Ideally though, the back of the car is best suited to youngsters.

The boot is accessed via a powered tailgate and has a 420-litre capacity, increasing to 1,405 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped. And beneath the boot floor additional space can be found to store the charging cables.

Throughout the cabin is a glovebox, door bins, a small central cubby, wireless charging pad, cup holders, seat back pockets and numerous USB-C ports.

Charging the Renault 4 is made simpler thanks to its 100kW fast-charging capacity which means a 15-80 per cent boost can be achieved in 33 minutes. A more cost-effective option will be using a home or work-based wallbox which takes longer but is far kinder on the pocket. For example, a 0-100 per cent charge takes 7 hours, 47 minutes via a 7.4kW box while it takes 4 hours, 51 minutes if plugged into a 11kW charging port.

It’s also worth mentioning the Renault 4’s Vehicle-to-Load capabilities meaning it can be used to power up external items such as lights, laptops, speakers and much more besides.

All in all, the Renault 4 E-Tech is a welcome ‘newcomer’ to the electric crossover sector bringing with it bundles of nostalgia, plenty of eye-catching design cues, impressive technology and a rewarding driving experience.