The Renault 4 E-Tech is one of the best EVs Alex Goy has tested

New cars that replicate classic icons don't always work, but Alex Goy has tested the new Renault 4 E-Tech, and he has high praise indeed.

As a people, we are fickle, fickle fools. As much progress as you like can be made, but throw something with a hint of 'when things were better' at us, and all of a sudden, the idea of newness goes away. We want the warm, squishy memories of the old days to keep us comfy and reassured at night, like a hug from mother. In some ways, it's incredibly annoying - 'they don't make 'em like they used to' is an insufferable battle cry. Progress isn't made by looking backwards after all. So why is one of the best cars I've driven in 2025 an EV made to look like a car from the middle of the 1900s?

Retro Styling

The Renault 4 is the latest in Renault's line of kickass retro-style EVs. Much like the wonderful Renault 5 that came before it, its look apes a famous car from Renault's past - in this case, (surprise surprise) the Renault 4. The original car was a workaday little box of a thing, inspired in part by the success of the Citroën 2CV. The 4 could be used as a practical commercial vehicle, a city car, a family wagon, a shopping car… anything. Cheap, practical, and easy to run, and people loved it - over eight million were built in factories all over the world over the course of decades. 

The re-birth

Today's Renault 4 isn't quite that sort of car. It's not super cheap, it probably won't be the smartest move to get one as a commercial vehicle, and it's not powered by an asthmatic petrol motor. It, like the Renault 5 e-Tech, is an electric car. It does, however, look like the car from the days of yore… if you squint a bit. Ok, it's more 'inspired by' than a direct copy, and for good reason: crash the old one, and you'll be part of the structure; the new one has a respectable four-star EuroNCAP rating. The new car comes with active safety features that'll scream blue murder at you if it thinks you're doing something that might look to an errant swallow 'unsafe,' and if you do actually have an accident, there's plenty of passive kit in there to keep you in one piece. The old car… did not have those things. Helpfully, you can quite easily turn all the beeping silliness off thanks to a (programmable) button on the dash. 

Design Language

The new look is rather sweet all told. It's got big, round, cute-looking headlamps, slab sides with original-aping strakes built in, and its rear is unfussy. Importantly, though, it doesn't feel like a cheap pastiche of the original, but a faithful homage. Inside is less homage-y though, and more in line with the firm's other retro EVs. The instrument binnacle and infotainment screens are pretty much what you'll find in the Renault 5 and Alpine A290, which means they're big, clear, responsive, and intuitive. They also come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you prefer using your phone to get around. Renault's use of shapes and materials inside is also charming, giving the car a sense of relaxed fun that many competitors simply don't.

Size and Space

While the Renault 4's a tall car, and quite roomy inside, it's not the airiest in the world. Its windows are small, so there's not a lot of light to be found in the cabin. The rear window is pretty useless, too, but that's the norm for modern cars. There is a reversing camera so you can see what's behind you when backing up, but it's alarmingly low resolution for something made in 2025. When a Ring doorbell can do 4K, why can't this..? 

The Price

...Perhaps because it's not very expensive. Prices kick off at £27,195, going all the way up to £31,195 (not including options). There's one battery and powertrain option - a 52kW slab sending power to a 150hp 181lb ft motor. It pumps that grunt to the front wheels, and can fire you from 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of 93mph. Max range is up to 247 miles, and on a 100kW charger, you'll get from 15-80% SOC in half an hour. 

For the City

The stats above show what the Renault 4 is about - it's a city car, something for the suburbs. It's not a motorway cruiser, or a road trip monster. That 'up to' 247 miles of range is doing a fair bit of legwork, too. Renault's got a calculator on its website that shows the likely real-world range of the car depending on the kind of roads you're driving on, how warm it is, and which mode you're in, giving you a far more realistic view of what to expect. 

In town, it's a joy. From the moment you stab the 'on' button, the Renault 4 exudes happiness. It never feels like the car's egging you on, but it feels like it wants to be played with. It'll leap away at traffic lights, and eagerly get up to speed, then happily sit at the limit (if you go over it WILL bong at you unless you've turned all that nonsense off). With its flat sides, you can easily slip through gaps without worrying about knocking anything, too. In 'comfort' mode, the controls are pleasingly light, too, so you won't feel like you've done a session at the gym after a trip to Asda. There's an 'eco,' 'sport,' and 'perso' (individual) mode to choose from on top of 'comfort.' 'Eco' makes things a bit squishy, 'sport' pumps the car up with a bit more vim, and 'perso' means you can choose your own adventure. 'Comfort' will do for most, to be honest. 

Motorway Capable?

On the motorway, it's perky enough, and wonderfully quiet. Sure, there's wind noise - this ain't a Roller - but otherwise you can happily listen to the latest episode of The Driven Podcast without having to crank the volume up. While its top speed isn't exactly stellar, there's enough there to overtake people being slow in the middle lane. 

Country Lanes

If you do happen to find some twisty roads… It's a proper giggle. 15-20 years ago, you could almost say it's a hot hatch. Peppy, perky, and engaging, it'll fling itself around with ease. The steering isn't the most engaging, which isn't the end of the world, and the suspension might be a touch soft for any sort of heroics, but you'll definitely end up with a big grin on your face. For a car weighing roughly 1500kgs (give or take), it doesn't feel like a big 'ol lump either. 

Is the Renault 4 a good car?

The new Renault 4 does the whole EV thing very well. It knows what it's about, and doesn't have any aspiration to somehow be 'more.' That said, you can comfortably use it for things other than pottering about town, etc, without worry. It's also a car that exudes happiness - a rare and wonderful thing. Looking back isn't always bad, eh?

words by Alex Goy
photography by Renault UK