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The new Renault 4 will be available to order in the UK from July, with prices starting from £26,995 to undercut the Mini Aceman and Fiat 600e.

When order books open on 1 July for early-access 'R-Pass' holders, and 15 July for everyone else, the Renault 4 will be available in three trim levels.

Entry-level Evolution comes with 18in diamond-cut alloys, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, quilted cloth upholstery, a 10in central touchscreen and wireless smartphone mirroring as standard.

Mid-rung Techno trim bumps the price up to £28,995 and adds a Google-powered EV route planner, a wireless phone charger, a pair of USB-C ports in the back, adaptive cruise control, hands-free park assist, a 48-colour ambient lighting system and part-leatherette upholstery. 

At the top of the line-up is Iconic trim, which costs £30,995 and includes bespoke black wheels, an electronic bootlid, heating for the front seats and steering wheel, contrasting yellow interior trimmings and an enhanced suite of driver aids.

The 4 is the second model in Renault’s ‘Iconic Family’ after the smaller and closely related Renault 5 electric supermini and will be joined by a rebooted Twingo (also an EV) in 2026. 

It has been positioned to appeal to buyers who consider the 5 too small, in a similar way to how the Captur sits above the Clio, said Renault. 

At 4140mm long, 1800mm wide and 1570mm tall, the 4 is 220mm longer, 30mm wider and 70mm taller than the 5, with a 120mm-longer rear overhang. The new 4 is also only slightly taller and longer than the 1961 original.

These dimensions put the 4 into a competitive space among EVs such as the Mini Aceman, Vauxhall Mokka, Volkswagen ID 3 and Jeep Avenger.

However, Renault bosses hope the 4’s lower starting price, usability and adventurous design will give it an edge in the growing electric crossover market.

The design, like that of the 5, stays relatively faithful to the concept car, the 4Ever Trophy, shown in 2022. 

The bold looks begin at the front with what Renault claims is the world’s first one-piece illuminated grille, which also features a backlit front emblem – a first for Renault. 

Nods to the car’s 1961 namesake include three-part rear lights, a roof-mounted mini spoiler, vertical overriders on the bumper and three lines sculpted along the door sills. Similar to the original, the crossover can also be specced with a cloth roof. 

Design director Gilles Vidal said both the trapezoidal rear quarter windows and bonnet cut lines (referencing the original car’s clamshell opening) are “instant areas of recognition”. 

“We wanted to stay true to the [original] Renault 4, but we wanted it to be super-modern and protected into the future,” he said, adding that the car needed to “have its own message” as “my kids don’t care so much about the [original] 5 or the 4”. 

As with the original, usability and practicality were key elements of the design brief, said Vidal. “The message is about its practicality,” he said. “We had to create a car around its practical nature so we did not betray the 4 name.” 

This is reflected by the 420-litre boot’s low loading level: at 607mm off the ground, Renault claims it’s 100mm lower than rivals’. This allows for easier loading and also enables the boot to be used as a seat – another nod to the original. 

The boot features a host of cubbies, including a large (and removable) 35-litre underfloor bucket that can be used to store anything from dirty footwear to charging cables. 

Inside, the 4 mirrors the 5 with a 10.1in digital driver’s display, a 10in Google-powered infotainment touchscreen and a choice of cloth or leatherette materials, but with more head room and space than in the smaller car. 

That extra space is thanks to an 80mm-longer wheelbase than that of the 5, with which it shares the Ampr Small EV platform. 

Renault says the pair also share 68% of their technical make-up, including electric motors and batteries. The 4 comes with either a 118bhp front-mounted motor and a 40kWh battery for 190 miles of range or a 148bhp motor with a 52kWh battery for 250 miles of range. It can be charged at speeds of up to 100kW. 

The 4 is the first Renault to be launched with a one-pedal driving mode, with paddles operating the regenerative braking level. It will be rolled out across the Renault line-up later on. 

In the six months since Carlos Tavares was ousted from his role as Stellantis CEO, there’s been plenty of speculation about his replacement, whether a high-profile executive from another firm (both the Renault Group's Luca de Meo and ex-Cupra man Wayne Griffith were linked to the role) or a big-name outsider from the tech industry.

You can see why many thought Stellantis would chase a big-name hire: Tavares had plenty of profile and industry standing, thanks to his success at Renault and Nissan and then his strong leadership of the PSA Group before it merged with FCA to form Stellantis.

Yet in Antonio Filosa, Stellantis has found its new leader from within. And while it’s certainly not the splashiest hire, it looks a smart one. The 51-year-old’s strong track record of success is hard to ignore and has fuelled his rapid ascension within the industry giant over the past few years to his most recent role as the firm’s North American chief.

I first met Filosa last year when, shortly after he was named CEO of Jeep, he held a round-table interview session for a small group of European journalists. His charisma was apparent from the start and, over the course of an hour, he answered a diverse range of questions eloquently – and without ducking any of the tough ones.

Of course, there can be a big difference between how someone presents themselves in an interview and what they’re actually like to work with but, as with many great leaders, Filosa seemed to have buckets of charisma mixed with a deep resolve. He felt like the sort of person who could make potentially unpopular decisions seem almost palatable.

Filosa also brings a useful global perspective to Stellantis, which will be vital to improving the fortunes of a sprawling international firm comprising a patchwork of diverse brands. Naples-born Filosa has spent the bulk of his Stellantis career in South America, and his time as Jeep CEO put him in charge of perhaps the only Stellantis brand truly successful in both Europe and North America.

During his career, he has also worked across all aspects of the industry, from planning to financial services, logistics to manufacturing. And his approach has been hugely successful. As Stellantis’s South America boss, he turned Fiat into a market-leading brand there, opened a huge new factory in Brazil and grew Jeep's share of the country’s SUV market from 1% to 20%.

Filosa’s immediate challenge will be the one he has already started working on in his current role: improving Stellantis’s fortunes in North America, a region that was once its cash cow but where it has struggled in recent years. But he must also contend with the uneven success of Stellantis’s various brands, increasingly complex legislation in Europe and growing competition from Chinese firms in numerous markets. Tough job.

Is Filosa the man to do it? Well, he certainly has form in turning around a struggling part of Stellantis, and the experience needed to succeed. And, crucially, while he’s a company veteran, he seems very different from Tavares – which could be what the firm really needs.

When Stellantis was created, Tavares did a strong job of amalgamating the disparate PSA and FCA firms into a largely united company, and in creating space and separation between its many brands. It was an approach that initially delivered results, but in recent years his focus on cost-cutting and rationalisation seemed to wear thin, both with Stellantis employees and the board of management. Sometimes a change of approach is needed and Filosa’s skill set seems suited to the task ahead of boosting performance and delivering results.

And for those who want their car firm CEOs to be, well, car people, good news: during that media session last year, Filosa mentioned that, as well as his two Jeep company cars, he’d bought his own – a Wrangler Rubicon 392, powered by a 469bhp Hemi V8. We’ll take that as a good sign…