Renault 4 and 5: more range coming, no need for a bigger battery

© A. Krivonosov

Renault is preparing a technical update for its electric Renault 4 and Renault 5. By the end of 2026 or early 2027 the models should receive new Gen 2 Evo motors that will make them more powerful and more efficient.

The Renault 5 is currently sold in two versions: Urban Range pairs a 121 hp electric motor with a 40 kWh battery, while Comfort Range gets a 148 hp motor and a 52 kWh pack. Range stands at 309 or 406 km. The larger Renault 4 is offered in the UK only with the 52 kWh battery and covers up to 402 km.

The main upgrade isn’t just a horsepower bump. Speaking to Autocar, Marianne Bataillon, Renault’s director of EV motor and battery development, said the company is “still working on how to improve the efficiency and power” of the Gen 2 motors, and clarified that the changes will be applied “at the end of 2026 or beginning of 2027”. The work will focus on the inverter and the reducers — that’s where Renault is hunting for extra kilometres without growing the battery.

The urgency is understandable. The Volkswagen ID Polo promises 328 or 455 km, and the Skoda Epiq 306 or 438 km. Against them, today’s Renault 4 and 5 no longer look like record-holders, although the Renault 5 undercuts many rivals: in the UK it starts at around £23,000.

If Renault manages to lift the range without a sharp price hike, the Renault 5’s retro design will get a far more pragmatic justification.