Taking charge: How Renault 4’s tech raises the bar

Google Assistant is similarly clever. Again, because it’s properly integrated with Renault 4, you can simply say ‘hey Google’ and ask it to turn on the heated steering wheel or cool the cabin. And, because you can log in with your own Google account, you can even ask what’s in your calendar for the rest of the day, or to turn on your lights at home. It’s a truly smart system.

Better still, you can download apps from the Google Play store directly to Renault 4. That means you can use your favourite streaming service, such as Spotify or Amazon Music directly through Renault 4’s infotainment screen. And, while you’re charging, or waiting to pick up a pal, you could even watch your favourite show on Prime Video. It’s a fantastically well thought out system. 

An advanced electric powertrain

The original Renault 4 was designed with one thing in mind – versatility. And the same is the case with Renault 4 E-Tech electric, because it offers a powertrain that makes it the perfect EV choice, no matter your daily motoring needs.

The battery is a 52kWh unit, and it powers a 150hp electric motor; it’s a combination that guarantees a level of performance that will get your day off to a great start, even if you’re just commuting to work.

The battery also provides Renault 4 E-Tech electric with an official WLTP range of up to 249 miles3, so on the days when you can rest and play instead of going to work, you’re free to explore the beautiful bits of the world beyond the city limits.

And when the time comes to stop and recharge both yourself and your Renault 4 E-Tech electric, it can replenish from 15% to 80% in just half an hour4, just enough time to grab a sandwich and stretch your legs – Renault 4 is always ready to go at a moment’s notice, so you need to be too. At home, a standard 7kW charger will take less than eight hours to ‘brim’ the battery, while a faster 11kW charger will do it in less than five hours.

Renault 4 E-Tech electric doesn’t just accept charge though – it can also share it out through the V2L (vehicle-to-load) function. This allows your car to power 220V devices, such as a charger for an e-bike, a kettle, or even a TV.

Smart tech means smart packaging

In the automotive world, ‘packaging’ doesn’t refer to something sparkly your car’s wrapped in when you pick it up from the dealership. No, the word packaging refers to all the bits you can’t see, because the way they’re arranged affects everything in the areas you can see, namely the cabin. 

To that end, Renault 4 E-Tech electric is based on the dedicated EV platform, called AmpR Small, which houses the car’s battery in a reinforced cradle under the floor, which is designed to protect the battery at all times. 

The real bonus is that this clever packaging allows more space and greater comfort for passengers. Plus, there’s a supremely practical 420-litre boot5, which has a load sill height of just 61cm – making it super easy to slide in heavy cases or shopping bags. Nothing else gets close to the versatility offered by Renault 4, as voiced by What Car?’s testers who said: “It’s not just the overall boot space that’s good, either; access to it is fantastic thanks to a very wide and tall opening, which is also very low to the ground with virtually no loading lip. It’s the easiest car in the class to lift a suitcase in and out of.”

Open-top spirit for the modern era

The weather has long been a staple of British conversation – and that’s largely down to how changeable it is. So it speaks to British optimism that Renault has always sold a higher percentage of cabriolets in the UK than in France. To that end, Renault 4 is now available with the plein sud® canvas roof. It’s a fittingly modern interpretation of the original 4’s open top, with an electrically operated canvas roof that reveals an 80x92cm opening – the only car in the segment to offer an electric folding roof. A brilliant way to savour that unpredictable British sun.

The roof can be operated at the touch of a button, or through the Reno voice assistant. And you can choose to have it partially open in a number of fixed positions. Plus, the clever multi-layered design means everything is still pleasantly quiet when the roof is closed. Better still, the folding design means boot space remains unaffected – so you can enjoy panoramic views while still carrying a boot full of luggage. 

Features that make driving safe and comfortable

Renault 4 E-Tech electric might be the sort of friendly, approachable car that soon becomes part of the family, but it’s also your family’s bodyguard when you’re out and about. That’s because it features a huge array of technologies designed to help keep you safe and stress free. It’s not just about keeping you safe though – Renault’s Human First Programme is all about using these features to make the roads safer for all road users. 

To that end, Renault 4 features driver-attention alert, emergency lane-keeping assist, and can even let you and your family know if it’s not safe to exit the car, such as when traffic is approaching from the rear.

The car also has adaptive cruise control6, which keeps you a set distance from the car ahead.

Comfort is also a priority, as What Car? noted, saying: “Even entry-level evolution+ trim gives you climate control, cruise control, automatic lights and wipers, keyless entry and an EV heat pump for more efficient warming of the interior in cooler weather.” Your Renault 4 has your safety, convenience and comfort covered at all times.

Renault 4 E-Tech electric gets technology right

Technology can be off-putting for some people, and technology that isn’t used is simply extra weight to carry around. And that’s where Renault 4 gets everything absolutely right, because all of the systems in it are designed to be either as simple and convenient to use as possible, or to work utterly unobtrusively in the background.