Renault 4 EV reboot is another all-terrain mashup
New Renault 4EVER Trophy hints at what an SUV version of the incoming electric Renault 5 will look like...
The ‘Renaulution’. That’s what Renault is calling its electric reboot of its iconic models. The electric Renault 5, based on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s CMF-BEV platform, is confirmed for 2024, and the Renault 5 Turbo 3E drift car was shown a month ago. It has to be said, that looked more than a bit wow, and now the company’s showing the prototype reinvention of the 4 at the Paris Motor Show. It's called the Renault 4EVER Trophy.
It’s a good-looking thing, but arguably not quite as easily identifiable as the car it seeks to emulate as the Renault 5 and Turbo 3E are. Is it just me, or does the Renault 4EVER have hints of a jacked-up Honda e at the front, and more than a fat slice of Mini Countryman styling at the rear? Only when you know what it is can you spot the 4’s lineage in its trapezoidal rear side windows.
Anyway, here’s what Gilles Vidal (VP, Renault Brand, Design) had to say on the matter of its styling: “To bring 4EVER Trophy into the modern era, we have infused its streamlined shape with technological sophistication. All these ingredients have been carefully crafted so that the design resonates with those who are familiar with the 4L and its illustrious history, and with younger generations.” Okay, that makes perfect sense, then.
To give you an idea of its size, the 4EVER is 4,160mm long, 1,950mm wide and 1,900mm high. The wheelbase is 2,570mm. One thing’s for sure, it’s clearly designed to go off-road. That’s evident in those tiny overhangs, chunky black plastic lower sections and its tall wheel arches, which house 19-inch wheels but still offer 20cm of clearance. You can even see a visible compressor behind each wheel that allows the driver to adjust the tyre pressures from inside the car.
Additionally, to remove all doubt about its purpose whatsoever, there's a spare tyre strapped to its carbon fibre roof, with a shovel and waffle boards mounted to the tailgate. What you can’t see is the reinforced underbelly that provides greater protection for the battery that sits in the middle of the chassis.
There’s no suggestion that we’ll see the 4EVER going into production as is, of course - but the ‘show car paves the way for the future all-electric B Segment SUV that will be at ease on urban and rural roads alike.’ Renault says the CMF-BEV platform ‘will guarantee the best performance in terms of range, acoustics, and on-road behaviour, without compromising on the design.’ The production car will be built at the company’s ElectriCity hub in northern France, and the 5 and the 4 will offer customers a choice of on- and off-road style akin to the Clio and Captur.
king boring now
And neither will the r5 look like the concept when it arrives
I'm actually a big fan of rugged small cars and Renault has history of these. Come on Renault give us a proper modern rugged EV or hybrid, something like a Panda Cross or Suzuki Ignis, I'd buy one.
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