Renault will reveal the all-new Renault 4 model at the Paris motor show, and this is the first official teaser.
The 2022 Paris Motor Show will play host to our first look at the upcoming Renault 4. After a two-year hiatus, the show is returning this month, serving as a launchpad for rebirth of the iconic French nameplate.
Renault has provided enough teasers for us to work out the new 4 will follow the same bodystyle template set by its predecessor. The car unveiled in Paris on 17 October won’t be the final version, however, rather a concept providing clear pointers to an eventual production model.
In a similar vein to the R5 Turbo 3E – another Renault show car that’ll appear in Paris, the Renault 4 shown in Paris could have some motorsport-inspired characteristics. Renault says it’ll “resonate with younger generations celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 4L Trophy humanitarian rally”. The 4L Trophy humanitarian rally typically features Renault 4s with roof-mounted off-road lights, skid plates and chunky tyres.
From the shadowy teaser image we can see the front outline of the show car. A practical roofbox is visible, as are the digital wing mirrors, raised suspension and flared wheel arches. We can also see the rectangular grille with round headlights – a nod to the original 4 that we expect the production car will borrow.
The Renault 4 we can expect to see on the public roads will be a far more conventional car. Like the old 4, it’ll be a versatile hatchback, but with electric power – thanks to Renault’s CMF-BEV platform. The retro-styled EV will join the revived Renault 5 in the French firm’s electrified lineup.
The original Renault 4 had a production run that spanned 31 years, during which more than eight million were sold. It was designed in response to the Citroen 2CV to provide simple, practical and cheap transportation to the growing number of car owners in the 1960s.
Last year, Renault unveiled a new concept car called the ‘AIR4’ with assistance from mobility company TheArsenale. It was built to celebrate 60 years since the Renault 4 was launched. The body of the AIR4 is a clear homage to the original Renault 4, but with LED headlights and a more rounded appearance. We expect the all-electric production car to hark back to the old car too, but perhaps not quite as much as the AIR4 or even the upcoming rally show car.
Pictures of a proposed Renault 4 design have also been uncovered on a trademarking website, as well as a new version of the Renault logo featuring the number 4, adding further authority to the rumours that a production model is on the way.
Judging by these patent images the Renault 4 will retain plenty of the original car’s design cues, sharing the classic car’s boxy shape, round headlamps and upright front end.
The production Renault 4 is touted to focus on the same niche as its famous predecessor, but with electric power. It should also be more practical than Renault’s current EVs, sporting a large boot and a pared-back cabin.
The new Renault 4 is part of an aggressive push towards electrification; Renault has already launched its all-new, pure-electric Megane and says it will introduce a total of 10 new EVs by 2025 – including a new Scenic in 2024. Seven of them will be Renaults, and the other three are likely to be Alpines, as the sports car brand moves to full electrification from 2024.
Alastair Crooks