New Renault 4 will go 4x4 to get ahead in the baby EV SUV class

Already previewed by the Renault 4EVER Trophy concept (pictured), the jacked-up Renault 4 model will use the same underpinnings as the newly launched Renault 5: the AmpR Small platform. And most versions of the 4 are expected to have just a single front-mounted motor. But while the supermini seems destined to remain front-wheel drive, the architecture beneath it features a multi-link rear axle that will allow space for an additional electric drive unit – and Renault sources have hinted to Auto Express that the 4, which will be positioned above the 5 on price, will make use of this.

Vittorio d'Arienzo, the chief of the AmpR Small platform division, said that the design was actually necessary to accommodate the larger of the 5’s battery packs, which would have fouled against a cheaper torsion-beam layout. But he admitted to Auto Express, “The platform is ready for four-wheel drive, and yes, we would consider it in the future.”

And Frédéric Morelle, the engineering lead on the 5 project, told us, “The 4 will use the same platform as the 5, but the 4 needs a multi-link rear axle to achieve a specific USP.” This feature could just be extra wheel travel and better rough-road ability, but is much more likely to be four-wheel drive.

A 4x4 version of the 4 could tap into the original car’s motorsport exploits, since a four-wheel-drive version, called the 4 Sinpar, was entered on a number of Dakar rally raids. It would also give it distinct positioning apart from the 5, and build on the rugged image of the 4Ever Trophy concept car that was revealed at 2022’s Paris Motor Show. The all-wheel-drive technology will give Renault a model with few obvious rivals, since all baby electric SUVs launched to date have been two-wheel drive.

Now read our list of the best 4x4s and off-road cars to buy...