Renault 4 to return as electric compact crossover next month

Renault will revive the classic 4 at the Paris motor show next month.

It will be likened to the famous 1960s hatchback in name only and sit above the upcoming Renault 5, a retro-styled Peugeot e-208 rival that has previously been mooted to have an £18,000 starting price. The new 4 will go up against the Peugeot e-2008, taking Renault into the burgeoning – and commercially thriving – electric small SUV segment.

Due on sale a year after the 5 in 2025, it will, like its supermini sibling, be based on the CMF-BEV platform for small EVs and have similarly “retro-modern” styling. The 4 will benefit from new battery and electric motor technology being developed by the Renault Group, although the firm remains tight-lipped about specifics. Also in Paris, Renault-owned performance brand Alpine will unveil a sports car concept that is expected to preview its electric future.

New 4 won’t draw on old namesake as heavily as reborn 5