The new Renault 4 is another retro-inspired icon for the EV era

Renault also confirmed that the 4 will be the first of its cars to feature single-pedal steering. This setting maximizes the car’s regenerative braking – one of three modes accessed via the steering wheel paddles – and can bring the car to a complete stop. Whether this will be added to the R5 via an OTA update remains to be seen.

Prices haven’t been announced, but we’re told the car will sit “between the R5 and the Renault Megane” – suggesting a starting price of around £26,000, possibly a little more. Three versions will be offered – Evolution, Techno and Iconic – with only the first of them losing the recognizable illuminated grille. The base cars will feature 18-inch steel wheels with aerodynamic covers, while Techno and Iconic feature their own unique diamond-cut alloy wheel designs.

Renault claims a total of 670 color, trim and wheel combinations, with seven base colors plus varying degrees of two-tone paintwork available – including a black roof and bonnet on some variants. An electrically operated folding canvas roof (nicknamed ‘Plein Sud’ or ‘Due South’) can be specified; Its lightweight construction is said to add little to no weight and therefore has a negligible effect on range. However, these cars miss out on the beefy roof rails.

Concluding, Renault CEO Fabrice Cambolive said: “This latest model completes an already wide range, with Megane, Scenic, the new electric Renault 5 E-Tech. But a compact car with real space was missing. Now we have it with this versatile, functional and modular model; a car capable of satisfying a wide variety of daily needs.”

The R4 will be built alongside the 5 at the company’s factory in Maubeuge, in northern France. The manufacturer claims that 75% of its suppliers are within a 320-kilometer radius of the ElectriCity complex. Production begins in March next year, with UK order books expected to open soon after. The first customer cars are expected to arrive in the summer.

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