It was in January 2021 when the Renault 5 made an unexpected return as an electric concept to preview a future production model. Fast forward to today, the French marque is announcing the return of another long-running nameplate. Scheduled to go on sale in 2025, the Renault 4 is currently attending the Paris Motor Show as a crossover. Much like the other concept, it too does away with the combustion engine to go purely electric.
Officially known as the Renault 4ever Trophy, the new B-segment EV takes its name after the 4L Trophy humanitarian rally across the Moroccan desert. The yearly event reserved exclusively for Renault 4 cars celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023, prompting the company with the diamond logo to celebrate the milestone with this rugged Paris-bound showcar. It's painted in Gun Metal Silver and rides on 19-inch wheels wrapped in 255/55 R19 tires.
2022 Renault 4ever Trophy concept
At the heart of the concept car is an electric motor producing 134 horsepower in a vehicle much larger than its predecessor. It stretches at 4,160 millimeters (163.7 inches) long and 1,950 mm (76.7 in) wide for what the French automaker says will be a vehicle with the same market positioning as the Captur subcompact crossover. It goes on to say the reborn Renault 5 will serve as the electric equivalent of the Clio supermini.
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Standing 1,900 mm (74.8 in) tall, the Renault 4ever Trophy has a generous ground clearance and boxy wheel arches. Images of the interior have yet to be provided, but the much longer body compared to the classic model will bring far greater rear legroom. The use of a dedicated electric platform (CMF-BEV) means the wheelbase can be maximized after shaving off the front and rear overhangs. The original R4 had short rear doors whereas its modern-day equivalent seems far more usable.
It has been engineered to accommodate a 42-kWh battery pack mounted between the axles and is good for approximately 250 miles (402 kilometers) of range. The front-mounted electric motor is good for a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in less than nine seconds. Don't expect some of the concept's neat features in the production model, such as the air compressors in the wheels, carbon fiber roof rack, reinforced underbody, or all of that chunky body cladding.
Ahead of its market launch in roughly three years' time, the Renault 4ever Trophy is being exhibited at the Paris Motor Show alongside the new electric 5.
