The 5 E-Tech might be Renault's main focus right now, but in the not-so-distant future, a brand-new 4 will join the subcompact hatchback. Spied mere hours after the 5 E-Tech made its debut on February 26, the 4 E-Tech returns into the spotlight with a set of new spy shots from near the Arctic Circle.
Clearly inspired by the 4EVER Trophy concept from 2022, the 4 E-Tech is underpinned by the CMF-BEV platform of the supermini. Now known as AmpR Small EV after the French manufacturer's Ampere division, said architecture will also be used by the zero-emission successor of the Twingo.
Upright in the front, Renault's upcoming crossover also sports relatively short overhangs, a shark fin-style antenna, rectangular taillights, a stubby rear wiper, and five lug nuts per wheel as opposed to four in the case of its direct rival. Of course, that rival is the Fiat 600e. Produced in Poland by the Stellantis group, 600e is twinned with the Avenger EV and soon-to-be-revealed Milano from Alfa Romeo.
If the production model features the very same 2,570 millimeters (101.18 inches) of wheelbase as the 4EVER Trophy concept, that would put the 4 E-Tech at an advantage over the Italian model. According to Fiat, its B-segment electric utility vehicle measures 2,562 millimeters (100.86 inches). As far as overall length is concerned, the numbers are 4,160 and 4,171 mm (163.77 and 164.21 in).
Any car enthusiast wearing rose-tinted glasses might be inclined to hyperbole, but in truth, the second coming of the Quatrelle won't enjoy the commercial success of the original. For starters, the R4 was produced in over eight million units between 1961 and 1994. Renault has committed to updating the 5 E-Tech for as long and often as possible, and even if the French automaker does the same with the upcoming 4 E-Tech, it will not catch up to the internal combustion-engined original.
Photo: Renault
The 4 enjoyed immense commercial success because it was the right car at the right time. A few years after the Quatrelle launched in its home market, France's gross domestic product overtook that of the United Kingdom for the first time in 200 years. Not as rudimentary as the Citroen 2CV, the 4 undercut the lovable Deux Chevaux Vapeur by 40 francs.
Worse still for Citroen's air-cooled economy car, the Renault offered more shoulder room. Its water-cooled engine is more refined as well, and the list goes on. The 4 E-Tech, on the other hand, will be yet another electric utility vehicle in a sea of B-segment crossovers. Renault could have taken a different approach to differentiate it from the 600e and other competitors, but when everyone and their dog wants a crossover, it would be extremely foolish to buck the trend.
Because hatchbacks are better than crossovers from the standpoint of aerodynamics, you can also expect fewer miles of driving range from the 4 E-Tech. If equipped with the larger 52-kWh battery pack, the 3.92-meter hatchback is good for up to 248 miles (500 kilometers) in the WLTP combined cycle.
Fiat also promises 400 clicks for the 600e, whereas the Jeep Avenger, which is more than 100 kilometers less than the Tesla Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive for Europe. With Fiat charging €31,900 ($34,920 at current exchange rates) for the 600e in France and the 5 E-Tech kicking off at €25,000 ($27,370), one can imagine the 2025 Renault 4 E-Tech starting at just around €30,000 ($32,840).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News