Renault unveiled a modern reinterpretation of the R4L at the Paris Motor Show, albeit in concept form. The rugged-looking Renault 4EVER Trophy concept previews an upcoming fully electric B-SUV for production, with a retro design language and a multipurpose character.
The Renault 4EVER Trophy looks very much like our exclusive render of the 4EVER that was published exactly one year ago. It does however come with some extravagant styling features that will be toned down for production. Mind you, the concept is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 4L Trophy humanitarian rally, which explains the flashy off-road kit.
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References to the original 4L include the black-painted rectangular grille graphic at the front that encloses the headlights, the shape of the front fenders, the trapezoidal side windows, the tapered rear end, and the pill-shaped taillights. Those are combined with modern styling cues including the pixel-style Matrix LED graphics, the flush door handles, the mirror-replacing cameras, the duo-tone roof, and the thin pillars. An interesting feature is the large air outlet on the hollow bonnet which, according to Renault, improves the efficiency of the radiator.
The concept is painted in Gun Metal Silver with a healthy dose of plastic cladding all around the bodywork and magenta accents. It rides on 19-inch wheels with a futuristic design and integrated compressors, changing the air pressure of the off-road tires on demand. The beefed-up suspension results in a 200 mm (7.9-inch) ground clearance, which in combination with the extra off-road equipment contributes to the rugged looks. The custom carbon-fiber roof rack with LED strips houses a spare tire, a shovel and waffle boards are mounted on the tailgate, while the underbody has been reinforced to protect the battery.
The company says that the R5 supermini and the R4 SUV will be the EV equivalents of the ICE-powered Clio and Captur in its future range. The concept’s footprint is typical of the B-SUV segment, even though it is 68 mm (2.7 inches) shorter than the second-gen Captur. More specifically, the 4EVER Trophy measures 4,160 mm (163.8 inches) long, 1,950 mm (76.8 inches) wide, and 1,900 mm (74.8 inches) tall, with a wheelbase of 2,570 mm (101.2 inches).
The company didn’t announce details about the floor-mounted battery or the fully electric powertrain. It did, however, confirm that the production SUV will be based on a stretched version of the CMF-BEV architecture and that it will be produced in the ElectriCity hub in Northern France. The modular platform will also underpin the Renault 5 supermini, Alpine’s hot hatch A5 variant, and the Nissan Micra.
Renault hopes that the production version of the 4EVER will repeat the commercial success of the original R4 which sold more than eight million copies in 100 countries over three decades (1961-1992). Besides the SUV bodystyle, the 4EVER will also boast an LCV variant inspired by the Renault 4 Fourgonette, as hinted at in the official teaser that was released last year. We expect to learn more about the EVs as we move closer to their market launch.
