Renault 4: Retro, rewired, and ridiculously likeable

Every Wednesday, at around 10AM, I rise from my desk to glance through the office window at the bracken monotony that encloses the housing estate. The exercise is akin to Russian roulette: my meerkatish behaviour is either spotted by a passer-by, and forced into an awkward exchange of glances, or I am rewarded with the sight of a genial car delivery driver.

I know what make and model is coming. Still, there’s something special about seeing a sparkly car settled on my bracken driveway, and depending on what it is, the feeling may be backed by giddy anticipation, quiet excitement, or simple acceptance.

The Renault 4 arrived on a bitter, but sunny, morning. Daylight carved through the towering Ochil Hills in front of the estate, while a chaotic cackle of white-bellied geese flew south.

I hadn’t a clue what spec or colour the 4 would be, but this was one of those cars, like the Honda E, where that wouldn’t be a deal breaker. The car already straddled both giddy anticipation and quiet excitement.

That said, I was a little disappointed at first to see the car dressed in diamond-black paintwork; its period lines cloaked as it breathed Clio air rather than that of a retro revival. Deep down, I was still hoping for cumulus blue or Hauts-de-France green, but I soon got over it.

Many say the old Renault 4 oozes character, but that’s a bit like saying your tumble dryer has a soul. Style and flair aren’t exactly words you’d use to describe the design and construction of the ‘Quatrelle’ tin workhorse. Affordability and versatility? That’s more like it.

The Renault 4 E-Tech, however, is retrofuturism at its best, a bit like a fine Scottish whisky blend, flavoured by old casks but bottled by modern machinery. Sure, the 4 E-Tech doesn’t have a 747cc engine like its ancestor, but it retains its taste. Inside, there’s no ‘umbrella handle’ gear lever, ten-past-one-positioned windshield wipers, or musty smell of families past. Nor do loose cables dangle at your feet, but it’s still just as charming.

Instead, the E-Tech’s dashboard is a fusion of light fabric and hard plastic. Physical controls complement its centralised touchscreen, while a host of technology, including a reversing camera, climate and cruise control, make life that little easier.

The mid-range techno+ adds nicer alloy wheels, sat-nav, DC charge preconditioning, ambient lighting, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and darker trim with stitched fabric inlays. Top-spec adds heated seats, even nicer alloys, and a swanky Harmon Kardon audio system. I can confirm that Jazz FM sounded just fine through the techno+’s audio system.

Most cars in this price range are as common as hedgerows and blue bins, but the Renault 4 E-Tech turned a few heads, and I didn't pass another one during the week. There were plenty of vibrant Renault 5’s, meaning I felt somewhat privileged sitting inside the even-numbered car. My wife liked it, and she’s the kind of person who doesn’t pay much attention to cars and picks them because they are pretty or cute. And there’s really nothing wrong with that.

I’ll usually judge a car’s looks by how it makes me feel when I park it up. If I walk away and don’t look back while locking it, it usually means I’ll likely see another identical car in two minutes. But I kept looking back at the 4; its little eye-like headlights made me feel bad for leaving it without a blanket and teddy bear in a cold and dingy car park.

The Renault 4 E-Tech isn’t entirely perfect. The car’s readout showed 182 miles after charging its 52kWh battery from 10 to 100 percent via my 7.4kW Easee One home wall box — 65 miles off Renault’s claimed figure.

The same could be said for efficiency. Claimed to return 4.0mi/kWh, the car just managed 2.8mi/kWh on average, while switching between its comfort and eco settings during runs. I put this down to the bitter temperatures, as Scottish winters usually test EV batteries.

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Likewise, although more comfy than some of its rivals, it still has a bounce in its step over pitted roads. That said, it’s softer than the 5.

But here I am, picking the smallest of holes in an affordable, supremely stylish, and practical little car that’s made me feel almost nothing but happiness during my week with it. I feel a duty to give at least some negative feedback, but this time it was hard. And I rarely struggle with handing back the keys to press cars, but I wanted to keep this one. Sure, I might’ve popped it through a paint spray booth at some point, but it had settled into our family, a bit like a rescue dog.

So, my wife and I have decided to rescue a Renault 4 E-Tech from the new-car market to replace our dilapidated Mini Paceman Cooper S. It will be blue or green with sidesteps.

Why? Because we don’t do interstellar mileage and have a cheap overnight tariff. But most of all, it’s cute.