Renault: The R4 could also be revived

The British portal Autocar is quite close to new products and now reports that the “Renaultlution” could include not only the R5 as Zoe's successor in 2025 but also a new electric R4. The Brits refer to insider reports. Autocar also quotes Renault CEO Luca de Meo, stating that besides the Renault 5, “the revival of at least one other old name” is planned. Additionally, Renault design chief Gilles Vidal is said to have hinted that some future models could use a retro-futuristic approach, while the rest of the product range would be more futuristically designed. This might make sense considering that Renault had some distinctive characters in the lineup with the R4 and R5 (but also R16 and the original Twingo), which are somewhat missed today. The Australian portal CarAdvice also reports on the new “old” comebacks: for instance, the electric Renault 5 could re-enter the market as “Renault Five” and the electric Renault 4 as “Renault 4Ever,” cleverly bypassing the discontinued numerical nomenclature.

The new “4Ever” is likely to use the same CMF-B EV platform as the R5 and share most technical features, but according to Autocar, the models would be positioned very differently: “A modern interpretation of the R4 philosophy could yield a small electric car that resembles a compact crossover in dimensions. This would significantly distinguish it from the sportier R5.” However, these statements are purely speculative, just as the differences could also occur in haptics and equipment, as Fiat does with the Panda and the 500: the spacious, affordable, but whimsically furnished R4, and the more upscale, sportier R5.

The latter is definitely expected to come. The presented showcar is supposed to be based on the new CMF-B EV platform for electric compact vehicles and will be built in the Douai plant starting from 2023, and in all likelihood will replace the Zoe, which itself is a big name in the Renault program, although it indeed appears more "interchangeable" in design than the R4 and R5 once were. With the new R4, Renault would also have an interesting fleet and sharing model on offer.

What does that mean?

New "old" names in the Renault portfolio make sense, as the current lineup includes the Clio, which is one of the top sellers across Europe and replicates this with the Zoe in the EV sector. However, both models are visually much more interchangeable than the R4 and R5 once were.