Renault 4 E-Tech Review: Price, range and boot space

Renault 4: Everything you need to know

Inexpensive EVs don't get much cooler than the new Renault 5. But what if you wanted something a little more practical, but with similar retro theming? Entre côté cour, le Renault 4 E-Tech. It shares 68% of its components with the 5, but is 220mm longer and about 54mm higher.

That means more interior space, especially headroom, and a much bigger boot. There's still plenty of retro appeal, with the car evoking the look of the original Renault 4, a car which predates the OG 5 by more than a decade. 

The first Renault 4 was designed with poorly surfaced rural French roads in mind, with long travel suspension to keep the car compliant over the roughness. This is echoed by the new one gaining extra squish compared to the modern 5, which could make it ideal for our crumbling UK road network. 

Its silhouette doesn't follow that of the original all that closely, however, whereas the 5 is instantly recognisable as a modern evocation of its predecessor. And although this is entirely subjective, the 4 just isn't as cool. 

The 4 has the same 52kWh battery pack as the 5, which powers a 150PS motor at the front axle. The extra weight of the larger car slows it down a little, but performance is still pretty peppy, and should be more than enough for most. 

This is a hotly contested bit of the market, with all sorts of alternatives vying for your cash. As a kick off, there's the tough-looking Jeep Avenger and more cutesy cousin, the Fiat 600e. You might also be tempted by the Ford Puma Gen-E, or perhaps the MINI Aceman. 

Is the Renault 4 a good car?

It definitely is. Admittedly, the 4 is given a big helping hand by its eligibility for the bigger Band 1 government electric car grant (ECG), much like the smaller 5, giving it an edge in terms of value compared to rivals that only qualify for the lower Band 2 contribution, or no grant at all. 

But that can't take away from the 4's fun driving yet comfortable driving experience, and its (mostly) pleasant and stylish interior. The range figures are about where we'd hope for a car of this cost, as well, and the real-world efficiency is decent enough so long as you're not hammering down the motorway with it too much. 

It isn't quite the leap over the 5 in terms of practicality we'd hoped for, but it offers a reasonable increase in usability for not too big a bump in price. And although it's not quite as cool as the 5, plenty of snazzy colour options including two-tone finishes ensure that it's still more of a head-turner than most cars at this price. 

What's the Renault 4 like to live with? 

We're currently living with a Renault 4 for six months, giving us a closer examination of the retro-styled electric SUV. Find out how we're getting on by reading our Renault 4 long term test.

Renault 4 E-Tech: Range 

There's little difference in the official WLTP Combined cycle driving range figures for the Renault 4 E-Tech — the entry-level Evolution+ claims the honours at 247 miles with the priciest Iconic+ being the worst, but only by a four-mile margin. In the middle is the Techno+ at 244 miles.

That's about where we'd expect a car of this size and price to sit. The Ford Puma Gen E, for comparison, manages up to 259 miles according to the official figure. 

Renault 4: Charging times

Charging the Comfort Range battery will take 30 minutes to jump from 15-80% using a 100kW DC rapid charger, with a flat to full replenishment using a 7.4kW domestic AC wallbox requiring around 11 hours. Bank on it taking three or four times as long if you really must use a three-pin plug – manufacturers generally recommend that you don't. 

An efficiency-boosting heat pump for the battery is standard on all Renault 4s, while an adapter to power external electrical equipment using its vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability is part of the package on all but the entry-level Evolution+ version. 

Although it's closely related to the Renault 5, the 4 sits higher on longer travel suspension, giving an extra 36mm of ground clearance. We can't imagine many owners will be taking their Renault 4 away from the tarmac, and we haven't tried anything like that with one yet, but it's nice to know you can head into a lumpy nature reserve car park or similar without worrying about scraping the bottom of the car on anything. 

This taller suspension is kept quite soft, making the 4 more adept at soaking up lumps and bumps in the tarmac than the 5. The flipside of this is that there's noticeably more body roll, so you can't drive it with quite the same enthusiasm, but we think most people would happily take that trade.

In any case, there's plenty of grip on offer, and no shortage of traction even if you need to quickly pull out of a side turning. Overall, it's a nicely balanced car dynamically.

What's less good is the wind noise at speed. As we've found with the 5, refinement is a little lacking.

Renault 4: Batteries and motors

In other countries, you can spec the 4 with a smaller 40kWh battery, but it's not available in the UK. Your only choice here is a 52kWh battery, powering a front-mounted motor that develops 150PS and 245Nm of torque. That isn't masses, but the Renault 4 isn't all that heavy, making for a perfectly respectable 0-62mph time of 8.2 seconds and a top speed of 93mph. 

Although an electric motor can deliver its torque instantly, the 4, like a lot of EVs, comes with some deliberate lag, perhaps so newcomers to electric cars aren't taken by surprise. We wouldn't mind a smidge more responsiveness, although the throttle is less lethargic in Sport mode.

In contrast, Eco mode severely limits both the throttle response and the overall output, while also restricting the top speed to 71mph. It's something you'll only want to use if you're desperate to eke out as much range as possible. 

Much like the related Renault 5, the 4 scored four stars out of five when tested by Euro NCAP. In the individual categories, the car managed 79% for adult occupants, 85% for child occupants, 73% for vulnerable road users and 68% for its safety assistance systems. 

In terms of safety systems, all versions of the Renault 4 come with adaptive cruise control, lane assistance, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, a driver attention monitor and autonomous emergency braking as standard.

The Renault 4 has a towing capacity of 750kg.

The Renault 4 has 420 litres of boot space behind the rear seats. It's a boot that's tall but not very long, which can make it a pain to fit some bulkier items. Folding the rear bench opens up 1405 litres of cargo volume, but the load area isn't remotely flat, so, again, bulky items aren't going to be much fun to load. 

Storage space in the front of the cabin is good, with a decent assortment of trays and cubbies. We'd like a proper cupholder, though. Instead, the 4 has a removable divider which turns one of those storage trays into something that can be used as a cupholder, albeit not a very secure one, depending on the particular size of beverage receptacle you're using. 

Despite the 4's increase in size over the 5, rear legroom is still at a premium. The increase in headroom is definitely noticeable, though. 

In other countries, the 4's passenger seat back folds fully forward, meaning you can carry items up to 2.2 metres in length. Sadly, though, Renault didn't bother engineering this for right-hand drive cars. 

The 4's interior is scarcely different from the 5's. We're fine with that – both cars have a stylish cabin that's so much better than the dull, bargain basement interiors that afflict Renault models of old. It even feels quite premium at first glance, particularly when you're looking at or fondling the fabric-covered dash and door pulls. This is a bit of a distraction technique – look a bit harder, and you'll see that the 4 uses a lot of hard plastics. But then again, this is an affordable car, so we'll let that slide. 

All versions of the Renault 4 come with a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It's easy to find your way around its various menus and submenus, and it responds quickly to touch. Should you want to use your own apps, there are two options.

Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay also feature as standard, and we've easily been able to connect several devices. You don't actually need to, though, as the system runs on the Android operating system for cars, so it comes pre-loaded with Google Maps rather than a less-good OEM navigation setup, and you can easily download compatible apps, including Spotify. 

It's handy being able to use Google Maps via the system itself rather than your phone, because it'll give you a predicted range upon arrival for your destinations, and automatically precondition the car when navigating to a public charging station. 

The infotainment screen is housed in a shallow V-shaped panel, also housing the digital instrument cluster, with each slightly angled towards the driver for better visibility. Entry-level Evolution+ models make do with a seven-inch instrument cluster, with all other versions coming with a 10.1-inch display to match the size of the infotainment. 

Given how slick all the on-board tech seems to be, though, we find it odd that the reversing camera that comes up in the infotainment screen is of such poor quality. And while we're moaning, although it's great that Renault has given the 4 physical climate controls, why do the climate settings themselves display along the bottom of the screen permanently? It seems like a waste of space. 

These are the latest On The Road (OTR) prices for the new Renault 4 as of May 2026 – prices can change, so please use these as a guide before checking Renault's latest price lists.

Is the Renault 4 E-Tech good value compared to rivals?

It helps the Renault 4 massively that all versions are eligible for the higher Band 1 government electric car grant, lopping a healthy £3750 off the price. The same can be said of the Ford Puma Gen E, but even with the discount applied, it's closer to £25,000 for the cheapest version. 

On the other hand, the Citroen e-C3 Aircross undercuts the Renault 4-Tech slightly with its Extended Range battery despite only getting the £1500 Band 2 grant applied, coming in at £23,495. There is an even cheaper Standard Range version, but at the time of writing, it seems to be unavailable for order.

It costs about £13 to fully charge a Renault 4 from empty if you're paying the current per kWh price cap for electricity, which seems very reasonable considering it should get you around 200 miles of driving. We're basing that on the 3.8 miles per kWh we've so far managed with our Renault 4 longtermer, which is okay, but not outstanding. 

You can, however, slash your charging costs by getting on an EV tariff with a cheaper off-peak rate and timing your charging sessions to suit. 

There are no VED car tax benefits to owning an EV anymore, so it's be the same £200 annual bill for the Renault 4 as any other petrol, diesel or hybrid car. 

The Renault 4 E-Tech is available in three trim levels called Evolution+, Techno+ and Iconic+. 

The entry-level Renault 4 E-Tech Evolution+ comes with the following fitted as standard:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Seven-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
• Cruise control Climate control
• Rear parking sensors
• Rear Parking camera

The mid-spec Renault 4 E-Tech Techno+ builds on the above with:

• 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels
• 10-inch digital instrument cluster
• Adaptive cruise control
• Wireless phone charger
• Front and side parking sensors
• Hands-free parking
• Tinted rear side windows
• Two-tone paintwork
• Quilted upholstery
• Aluminium roof bars
• Shark fin aerial

The top-sped Renault 4 E-Tech Iconic+ adds:

• 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels (different design)
• Heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Electrically opening hands-free tailgate
• Harman Kardon sound system