Renault 4 revived as funky new compact electric SUV

Renault has revealed the 4Ever Trophy at the Paris Motor Show – a funky concept car that previews the revival of one of the French brand’s most iconic models.

Unveiled 30 years after the 4L was discontinued, the new show car is a bold makeover of the Renault 4, of which more than eight million were produced between 1961 and 1992.

To mark its revival, Renault has given the model a makeover, and marks the 25th anniversary of the 4L humanitarian rally. This new model retains many of the Renault 4’s original design features, including the same silhouette and small trapezoidal rear-three-quarter window.

The show car gets an adventure-ready body kit, including huge plastic cladding around the arches and lower bumpers, a roof rack equipped with a spare tyre and a shovel and sand ladders located on the boot.

Modern changes include a horizontal grille incorporating Matrix LED lights, along with the use of carbon-fibre for the roof, to help bring the weight down. Each wheel also features a compressor that can easily adjust the tyre pressures from inside the car, to help in a variety of terrains.

This 4Ever Trophy is far from just a wild concept car, though, as it paves the way for a compact electric SUV production car, albeit one that’s unlikely to retain the rugged styling kit. Set to be built around Renault’s CMF-BEV platform, the firm says it will ‘guarantee the best performance in terms of range, acoustics, and on-road behaviour, without compromising on the design’.

The revival of the Renault 4 follows on from the Renault 5 Prototype, which is also set to enter production as the French firm looks to play on its heritage as it moves to produce more EVs. Renault says the new 4 will hold a similar position in the line-up as the current Captur crossover.

Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault, said: “The 4L is a legend. And legends never die! Today, it is this universal dimension of the 4L, a car that everyone can love, that we want to find through a modern and electric reinterpretation of the Renault 4.”