Opinions, first contact and photos

More practical and more comfortable. Those are the main identity signs of the new electric renault 4, an alternative to the Renault 5 that clearly has a more youthful approach, more than a SUV version that is not so linked to its past but that is equally careful.

The electric Renault 4 is one of those cars that one arrives with the promise of another car. It is very likely that the client will land at the concessionaire attracted by the electric Renault 5 and when he sees the rear seats and the trunk is decided by this option that is Much more practical For a family with children. It is easier to accommodate these in the rear seats. In fact, adults will travel more easily. And, above all, it has a trunk and a much wider load space.

This is our first contact with this reinvention of Renault 4.

Electric Renault 4 Technical Card

A car that is bought with the head

It should seem obvious when one is going to leave “thirty -many thousand euros” in a product. We try to look for rationality in objects such as a computer, hiring the fiber of the mobile, when choosing the supermarket we bought.

But buying a car is still A point of irrationalityto buy with the heart. To assume that we aspire to have that car for at least a decade ahead. And that’s why aesthetics remains key. That is why brands continue to invest in aspirational products because they know they attract new customers. And that if these new customers do not buy that car will be made with another that is cheaper or more practical but they will already be in their networks. A formula that is only possible if certain identity signs are maintained.

With the Renault 5 and 4 that happens. I have rarely felt as observed as in our first contact of the Renault 5. The beauty is that purely subjective element that, curiously, makes the same product to the same product. Some goal will have. Renault has managed to attract looks with his Renault 5. A beautiful car, careful, well topped but whose rear seats and their trunk can leave out many families.

For them, the French have that electric Renault 4. A little wider inside, more space in the rear seats and a qualitative leap in the trunk that grows to 420 kilometers. It is not so striking like him Cincodoes not have that captivating but Renualt air has managed to remember the classic 4 cans with an aesthetic that trusts most of its links with the past to a front grill with two round headlights and two rear optical groups that modernize the original.

To this is added that, as we say, Renault has made him care. The configuration is the same as in the Renault 5, 10 -inch screen for the central and 7 or 10.1 inches (depending on version) for the instrument frame, both sustained in the same frame that Android Automotive takes advantage of to display a set of bright graphics and results that are especially striking due to the tin quality of the panels.

The rest of the cabin shines where his brother model did. The splash furniture presents an illuminated infographic with the name of the model, has well -chosen padded and the seats are comfortable. The steering wheel feels of good quality. And all this is presented with an attractive and brave color palette that breaks with the anodinos (and almost standard in the market) white, black and the wide gray range in all its tones and saturated.

If we talk about your system of Infoentrateas we said, there is no complaint. The menus are simple to control and everything is there where you expect. A strip of four direct accesses on the left side and direct access to multimedia systems and a second function in the right. Panel, the latter, which can be hidden. In the center we have the Google Maps map with real -time traffic information. Everything unfolds quickly and without suffering any LAG. It is appreciated that under the central panel the well -known physical controls of air conditioning are maintained.

The information in the instrument frame is well distributed, with a configurable central panel to the driver’s taste (including the map) and a right side in which the information related to consumption is shown. Compatibility with Apple Carplay and its wide versatility is maintained, carrying Apple’s map to the instrument box if you want.

The button that deactivates adas aids to the driver with a simple touch (activates a personalized configuration) and physical controls in the steering wheel, well distributed and easy to handle is also maintained. What still seems uncomfortable is the arrangement of the controls of the right where the transmission lever, the watering wiper, multimedia control and, now, the cams are crowded.

Because the electric renault 4 adds some cams that allow controlling the regenerative braking to the point of adding the one pedalthe function with which we can control the car only with the accelerator. Regeneration when lifting foot is strong enough to stop the car completely. In city, once we adapt, it is really practical.

Practical and usable because circulating on urban and secondary roads, the car can be handled exclusively with this system and, in addition, consumption is very lowered. To the point of moving, without looking for it, in an expense of 12.5 kWh/100 km during our first tour. It is a very interesting figure for whom every day he performs on average 80-100 km because he confirms that he can load the car every four or five days does want with his large battery.

The configuration is the same as in the Renault 5. A 40 kWh capacity battery associated with an engine that develops 122 hp and a second up to 52 kWh with 150 hp engine. In this contact we cannot draw clear conclusions about your real consumption. Renault states that they have improved the data of Renault 5, a slightly gastón car that cries to reach 250 real kilometers with a single load. When you have a maximum 52 kWh battery, you need a very efficient car if you want to position yourself as a daily car but useful in one or two long exits a year.

As we say, we need to circulate more time with the Electric Renault 4 to confirm how much they have improved in this section. We have barely stepped on 30 kilometers of highway and in that small section the expense was 16 kWhh/100 km despite alternating strong ups and downs. The problem is that the sample is so small that we do not dare to affirm how much the improvement could be although it is true that better data are glimpsed.

If the car manages to place below 20 kWh/100 km sustained they are great news for the brand. So we will move slightly above the 250 real kilometers And that allows you to position yourself as that family car ideal for day to day and usable on weekend exits and one or two long getaways a year. Especially since we talk about guaranteeing another 200 kilometers of autonomy with the battery charged to 80% after a first stop.

In addition, this more familiar approach has also been transferred to the sensations behind the wheel. Renualt has influenced this and it is something that we have discovered in mind we have put ourselves at the controls. The Electric Renault 4 has a softer, more pleasant suspension tarado in the city where potholes and highlights that face better. We forget the Durito and Reboton character of the Electric Renault 5.

The car is less fun and transmits less than its brother but the brake pedal, despite its longest route, is still very good. The touch is that of a combustion car and does not doubt when managing mechanical and regenerative braking. Uses the same Bosch system as the Cinco But with another tarado. The same happens to the address, less direct but maintains a good touch, fleeing from the artificiality of other proposals that we are seeing in the market.

As with consumption, our evidence of driving attendees were very limited by the kilometers performed on the highway. The time we have performed some tests have been able to verify consistent operation, without sudden braking or accelerates and with a good lane focused. We can expect a behavior similar to that of the electric Renault 5 but we would have to do more tests to confirm it.

What would be appreciated is a better quality back screen. The current one offers a very poor image, I would say that it is the same as Dacia in its Duster and Bigster and which we also complain.

In summary accounts, we thought about the electric renault 4 as a Cinco With more trunk. It is not quite like that. The car is not only more practical, it is also more comfortable and has a more restrained tuning but without neglecting the good work of Renault in the last cars, with a precise direction and a consistent brake but, in both cases, somewhat less direct than in the case of his brother.

As for its price, the car will be sold with the following versions:

• Renault 4 electric with 40 kWh battery: from 28,752 euros
• Renault 4 electric with 40 kWh battery: from 31,632 euros

To these prices you can add a discount of up to 7,000 euros with the application of the MOVES III Plan and the dismissal of 3,000 euros in the income statement of the year in which the vehicle is bought.

Photos | Xataka

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