Renault 4 could be resurrected as an electric car with a retro look
The new R4 could look like this retro rendering. (Image: Obendorfer)
No time right now?
The popular small car of the 70s and 80s could come back as an electric retro car. A possible name is already being discussed.
Three words from the managing director of Renault, a hint from a design director and unconfirmed reports lead to this conclusion. In the course of the renaissance, the French group had already shown an electric interpretation of the R5, the series version of which is due to hit the market in 2023. Well has Autocar information snapped upthat go with the recent comment by new boss Luca de Meo. He said there will be “at least one more” revival of a classic. According to the informants, the electric retro R4 will roll off the assembly line from 2025.
New names for R4 and R5
The Caradvice portal reports suitable trademark registrations. Renault could market the R5 as “Renault Five”. Another registration is “Renault 4ever” and also indicates a revival of the compact classic. One of the company’s design directors, Gilles Vidal, had already indicated the two-pronged direction of the Renaissance. “Some models” are supposed to follow a retro-futuristic approach, while the rest are strictly future-oriented. The French company had introduced the R4 at the time as a competitor to the Mini and Fiat 500, both of which are already electric. With the Fiat 500e, Fiat shows how successful a new edition of a classic electric car can be.
Modern platform for classic revival in the crossover segment
Even if Renault does not give any details, the electric R4 should be based on the same platform as the new edition of the R5. It bears the designation CMF-B and comes from a collaboration between Nissan, Mitsubishi and Renault. The new R4 could represent a retro-futuristic interpretation of a compact crossover and cover this market segment. So he would not get in the way of the new R5, which is more of a sporty speedster. In addition, a retro R4 can be imagined as a mini commercial vehicle – the original has already played this role. Observers speculated that Renault could replace the bestseller Zoe with the retro mobiles. But officials immediately disagreed. Vidal’s boss Laurens van den Acker: “The answer is no, because the Zoe is the best-selling electric car in Europe. So it would be stupid to hire vehicles that sell best in their segment. “
