Long-term test: Renault 4 E-Tech Iconic+

I have no home charger, so that means our Renault 4 spends quite a lot of time at public chargers – and as a result, so do I. When I’m feeling stressed, the 30-40 minutes can be frustrating, but on the whole, it’s not a massive problem. In fact, it can be great if we’re able to use the time to our advantage.

For example, we knew we had to charge up ahead of a recent trip, so we stopped at a Sainsbury’s to use the Smartcharge fast chargers. And while we added 125 miles to the range at a cost of £20.88, we were able to grab some shopping, plus the added bonus of an on-site Starbucks coffee shop meant I could grab a treat: an Iced Caramel Macchiato for the journey.  

We rarely use slow chargers these days, but the following day we went for a walk at a local beauty spot, so thought we would put the Renault on charge to see how many miles we could add. It was a good reminder that if you have the time to spare, it’s a cheaper option; we were able to add 58 miles at a cost of £8.30 in around an hour and 40 minutes.

Renault 4 E-Tech Iconic+: second report

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EV gets star treatment after winning at our awards

• Mileage: 2,486 miles
• Efficiency: 4.4mi/kWh

Regular readers may have spotted our long-term car in last week’s special issue, because for the second year running, the charming retro-themed Renault 4 won the Small SUV category at our New Car Awards. As you can see from the main photo, it’s a real team effort to get the cars ready and the stage set for the photoshoot, and our R4 certainly looked the part among the class-leading models, thanks to its Hauts-de-France Green paint and Diamond Black roof.

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When the car arrived, my husband and I felt a little closed in, which was definitely not due to the space on offer inside. We decided the sensation was caused by the smaller windows resulting from the car’s boxy shape, but we soon adjusted and there are no visibility issues. 

In fact, I’m a big fan of the cabin. I mentioned the black-and-grey colour scheme with yellow accents that is used on the seats, doors and dash in my first report, but another stylish touch is the grey quilted material used on the headlining; it looks smart and echoes the quilting on the seats, but uses a softer fabric in a lighter colour. All the cabin materials are made from 100 per cent recycled items, which is a big plus for me. 

It also feels spacious for a car in this class. It’s mostly just the two of us in the R4, so the back seats haven’t been used much, but my husband sat there to take the in-car driving photo on the right. He is 6ft 2in and was happy to find he had a small amount of headroom to spare and enough legroom to be comfortable.

The dash layout is simple and clear, with the 10.1-inch infotainment screen slightly angled towards the driver, and the system is proving easy to navigate. The built-in Google-based software means we often don’t bother linking our phones up for Apple CarPlay, using the built-in Google navigation instead. But linking and switching between the devices is really simple, which is handy when I’m on my own and I want to listen to music via Spotify rather than the radio, which my husband prefers.  

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I’m not a fan of the gear selector, though, which is a stalk mounted behind the steering wheel. It’s not that it gets in the way when I’m driving, but its indistinct black finish leaves me grasping at thin air in the dark. While it does echo a standard automatic gearbox layout, my natural inclination when choosing a gear is to go up for drive and down for reverse. Still, at least finding it awkward means I am still double-checking the gear selection every time.

The Renault 4 is also proving a pleasure to drive. It might not be as exhilarating as our previous Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce long-term car, but it handles most surfaces with ease. The steering is light and responsive and there’s enough power when pulling away and driving on a motorway. It might not be aimed at country roads, yet the R4 never feels out of its depth driving around the New Forest near our home, but it’s safer to avoid the many potholes for the sake of the car and its occupants. 

The Renault has three driving modes: Sport, Comfort and Eco, and we mostly use Comfort. Eco really affects the driving experience, but is handy if you need to eke the range out. I haven’t used Sport mode, but my husband has for overtaking, and he says it makes the task easier. There’s also the option to properly embrace one-pedal driving, but we haven’t given it a thorough try yet. The brakes are still on the sharp side and are my husband’s least favourite thing about the Renault 4.

Renault 4 E-Tech Iconic+: first fleetwatch report

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A blaring indicator chime threatened to spoil life with the Renault 4, but a simple tweak quickly restored the peace

It’s often the little things that really get under your skin – the enjoyment of driving a smart new car ruined by the alarmingly loud indicator noise, which you know is going to wind you up every time you use it.

That’s how it felt when I started driving the Renault 4, but this tale has a happy ending, because only a couple of steps through the menus on the infotainment system is a handy option for controlling the volume of the turn indicator sound. There are three choices and mine is now safely set at low, so driving the car is a much more peaceful experience.

Renault 4 E-Tech Iconic+: first report

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Move over, Renault 5, it’s time for your more practical sibling to show its talents

• Mileage: 1,007 miles
• Efficiency: 4.1mi/kWh

Renault has really hit a sweet spot with its retro-themed small electric vehicles, combining competitive pricing, eye-catching looks and well-loved names.

The Renault 5 has already proven a big success in the UK, with strong sales attracting buyers from other brands, including many people new to running an EV. Meanwhile, colleagues who have seen the upcoming Renault Twingo in the flesh have only had good things to say about the cute city car. All of which added to my excitement when collecting my new fleet car, the second of the brand’s trio of retro EVs, the more practical Renault 4.

The original 4 was a bit of a groundbreaker when it was launched – it was the first family car with a one-piece rear tailgate that was hinged at the top to allow easier loading, and the first production car to have a maintenance-free sealed cooling system. It was imagined as an affordable, lifestyle car that could handle a variety of scenarios, proving comfortable and hard wearing.

Today’s reimagined version is positioned as a more family-friendly offering than the latest R5, with a larger boot and a driving experience focused more on comfort than nimble city driving. As with its sister car, there are some styling cues that hark back to the original – the most obvious nod comes in the shape of the front lights, which have a circular look achieved by framing the headlamps with bracket-like DRLs – all within an illuminated grille surround. 

I went along to Hendy Renault Eastleigh to collect my car, and although there are no longer any physical brochures, it was easy to download a digital one using the QR code on the display banner in the showroom.

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My top-spec Iconic+ model is finished in Hauts-de-France Green with a Diamond Black Roof which, at £750, is the only extra on top of the £27,945 list price (including the Government’s EV grant). Buyers have three trim levels to choose from (the others are the base-level Evolution+ and mid-spec, top-selling Techno+) but they all come with plenty of kit. Every one also has a quoted range of 249 miles, so I’m looking forward to putting that to the test over the next few months.

As part of the handover, sales executive Jamie Collis showed me a few features via the 10-inch multimedia screen, including the official Renault avatar Reno, which is always there to help (via ChatGPT). He’s already proving a little annoying, though.

Otherwise, we’ve found the system easy to use so far and the additional 10-inch driver display feels like a seamless continuation of the main touchscreen, with the power button between the two. There are also some physical switches for the climate control lower down.

First impressions of the interior are really good, too. Although there are some hard plastics on show, the additional black quilted textile trim with yellow stitching really lifts it and I love the plain, straightforward look.

The seats are as comfortable as they are smart, while another extra is the driver’s seat having electrically operated lumbar control, which feels luxurious given the car’s price.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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