Reborn Renault 4: electric 4x4 previewed ahead of unveiling

The famed Renault 4 will be revived in 2025 as a retro-inspired electric 4x4, due to be revealed at the Paris motor show later this month.

The car shown in Paris will be a high-riding off-roader inspired by the 4L Trophy, a Dakar-style rally across the Moroccan desert, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

An official preview image reveals that it will wear a familiar front fascia to the original 4, albeit modernised with LED lighting.

The roofbox and large wheel travel present in the official image comprise the nod to the 4L Trophy but aren't expected to feature on the production car.

It will be likened to the 1960s classic car in name and styling only, sitting above the 2024-bound Renault 5, which has already been revealed as a £18,000-£21,000 concept. Therefore the R4 is likely to command a premium price, rather than being sold as a budget-friendly car as was its forebear.

As with the 5, it will be underpinned by the Renault–Nissan CMF-BEV small car platform, benefitting from new battery and motor technology currently in development.

The electric reimagining of the 4, along with the 5, is part of Renault’s plan to make up to 90% of its European sales fully electric by 2030. It will launch four electric cars by 2025, with a further two EVs expected to be announced over the next year.

The 4 will be joined in Paris by the new Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric, already on sale in France, as well as the Renault Austral, which replaces the Nissan Qashqai-based Renault Kadjar.

Sporting subsidiary Alpine will showcase a new sports car concept at the Paris show, expected to preview the French firm’s future EVs.

This comes after Alpine confirmed that it will launch three EVs from 2024 as it pushes to become a pure-electric brand.

This transformation will begin with a hot version of the new 5, followed by a performance SUV called the GT X-Over in 2025. The push will culminate in 2026 with an EV replacement for the lauded Alpine A110 sports car.