• Nice blend of form and function inside  
• Some scratchy plastics but quality is solid 
• Physical heating controls are a big bonus 

How is the quality and layout? 

The Renault 4 E-Tech shares a lot of its interior with the 5, albeit it toned down with a more subdued palette of colours. Out goes the bright yellow fabrics, replaced with denim looks (a jashboard if you will) or houndstooth depending on spec.  

Big bits of fabric on the dashboard and door cards offset the hard plastics used elsewhere, and the steering wheel feels good to hold. In fact, it’s all rather more pleasant than most rivals costing thousands more, and we’re not sure even a MINI Aceman or Volvo EX30 feel a great deal better. 

The 4’s interior is certainly easier to use than either one of the aforementioned premium rivals. Where you have to access almost everything via the touchscreen in those cars, the 4 gets a whole row of physical heater controls, and useful icons on the screen to skip to key menus. They’re easy to master using muscle memory alone, which makes adjusting the temperature while driving a simple and safe affair.  

Infotainment and tech 

All models run a 10.1-inch infotainment screen that’s easy to use and neatly integrated into the dashboard. The buttons are big and easy to prod, while the menu structure is simple and straightforward. it’s one of the nicest systems in this segment, certainly much nicer than the overly complex examples found in Volvo.  

Mid-spec and up cars get Google connectivity baked into the 10.1-inch touchscreen that proves easy to use if not quite as sharp-looking as MINI’s system. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard on all models if you’d rather mirror your phone, and all but base trim gets a wireless phone charger.  

Vehicle to load (V2L) is standard so you can plug a three-pin-fed electrical appliance into the 4 and even charge other EVs from the car.  

Comfort 

• Good support and manual adjustment for the front seats  
• Rear bench seat is comfortable
• Heated seats are for top-spec model only 

The seats are on the softer, more cushioned side but without sacrificing comfort. After several three-hour trips in the Renault 4 our tester was left with no backache and discomfort at all, aided by the generous adjustment offered. 

A big disappointment is the decision to limit heated front seats, lumbar support and the heated steering wheel to the top-spec Iconic models only which means a thick jumper and driving gloves will be a welcome addition come the colder months. If Renault offered these features as an optional extra like Ford do with the Puma Gen-E, we’d certainly pay for the convenience.