Little escapes
There is a wonderful film by Swiss director Yves Versin from 1978 called ‘Les petites fugues’ (Little Escapes). The old farmhand Pipe buys himself a moped and uses it to explore his surroundings for the first time in his life. Of course, there’s more to it than that, but the beginning of the film is wonderful, with the old man rattling around on his pocket money moped, learning to drive – and opening his eyes to so many little things that make life worth living. The Renault 4 electric reminded me a little of this film – it’s very suitable for such ‘little escapes’ with the whole family. The all-electric French car is somehow so peaceful, so friendly, and, as an electric car, naturally very quiet – likeable.
The Renault 4 electric’s biggest competitor is the Renault 5 electric. Naturally, they share the same platform, with 68 per cent of the components being identical. The R4 measures 4.14 metres (R5: 3.92 metres), is 1.8 metres wide (2.02 metres with mirrors, as with the R5) and 1.57 metres high (R5: 1.50 metres). The extra length benefits the R4 in terms of boot space (420 vs 326 litres), while the extra height improves the feeling of space. Both vehicles weigh just over 1.5 tonnes. Our R4 test vehicle was the most powerful version, with a 52 kWh battery, 150 hp and 245 Nm maximum torque, just like our R5 endurance test vehicle. According to factory specifications, both vehicles have a range of over 400 kilometres, with the (lighter) R5 consuming slightly more than the R4 according to WLTP, 15.2 vs 15.1 kWh/100 km. In return, the five-seater is significantly faster from 0 to 100 km/h, 7.9 seconds, while the four-seater is specified at 8.6 seconds; both vehicles are electronically limited to 150 km/h. Except for Germany, this is more than enough anywhere else in the world.
While the R5 electric is very, very cool and stylish, and also really fun to drive on the road, the R4 looks somehow more comfortable from the outside. Despite its high body and lots of adventurous accessories, it doesn’t want to be an SUV, but more of a family car, and the space is appealing, especially for a 4.14-metre-long vehicle. The interior is good overall, and of course nothing reminds you of its very sparse predecessor – but in all these modern cars, you get the feeling that you could easily command an aircraft carrier from the cockpit. At the same time, the controls remain child’s play. Renault knows how to do this, offering lots of options for shortcuts (switching off the lane departure warning system or the speed limit chime). You do it once, and then it’s good and stays that way. Travel and charging planning is also very simple – that’s how it should be (Chinese manufacturers in particular might want to take a closer look at this). The seating is comfortable, even on longer journeys, the materials used give a high-quality impression (despite or thanks to the use of a lot of recycled material), and the workmanship is also good.
While the R5 electric encourages a somewhat brisker pace, the R4 electric is more suited to a leisurely cruise. It’s difficult to explain, technically, as the chassis of both vehicles is exactly the same, but the four-seater somehow feels more airy, more comfortable. It could be, it’s manoeuvrable, very agile, with good, direct steering – but you don’t always have to. And so you don’t drive it too roughly – which in turn has a positive effect on fuel consumption. And this is where the French are currently showing their competitors how it’s done: we never exceeded 15 kWh/100 km, despite winter conditions. If you drive the R4 more in the city and suburbs, you can even achieve values below 12 kWh/100 km – which is truly exemplary. This only applies to a limited extent at the maximum charging speed of 100 kW, but because the battery is not that big, the downtime is kept within limits. You can always expect a range of 250+ kilometres if you drive the vehicle at a reasonable SOC between 10 and 80 per cent. That’s definitely enough for a little weekend getaway.
Our test car in the techno version costs from £34,700. That’s the same as a similarly equipped VW Polo with a 1-litre engine and 95 hp. No, the Renault isn’t a bargain either, but we think the price is extremely fair. The R4 electric is a modern, very cleanly made electric car with plenty of space, sufficient power and very good fuel consumption. Above all, it is a popular car. Children smile when they see the angular French car with its wide eyes – and so do their mothers.
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