New Plein Sud option gives Renault’s retro EV crossover a giant folding fabric roof
Renault adds huge folding canvas roof to electric 4 E-Tech crossover for £1,500 premium. 4 Plein Sud, which translates as due south, cost from £27,445 including UK’s £3750 grant.
Like all 4 E-Techs it comes with 147 hp, a 52 kWh battery and up to 242 range miles. Renault’s retro-flavored 4 E-Tech has already borrowed plenty of design ideas from the original Renault 4, but now it’s reviving one of the old car’s coolest features too. Meet the new Plein Sud version, which swaps the standard roof for a giant electrically operated folding canvas setup.
The fabric opening stretches 800 by 920 mm and folds back electrically in multiple stages, giving both front and rear passengers a proper open-air feel. Renault says it’s the only fully electric B-segment SUV currently offering this kind of setup. Related: Radical Espace Reboot Leads Renault’s 36-Car Plan To Fight China’s Threat The roof itself is a pretty clear nod to the original Renault 4’s simple manually retractable fabric roof from the 1960s.
But this one is a whole lot smarter. Not only is it fully electric, but you can open it by asking the Reno voice assistant if you're feeling too lazy to press a button. Underneath, nothing about the Renault 5 E-Tech's SUV brother changes mechanically. Buyers still get the familiar 148 hp front-mounted motor and 52 kWh battery pack delivering up to 242 miles of WLTP range.
That’s only slightly lower than the fixed-roof version, which manages up to 249 miles , proving the folding roof’s hasn’t hurt efficiency too badly. Cheaper Than A Beach Holiday The Plein Sud arrives in mid-spec Techno+ and top of the line Iconic+ trims, and costs £1,500 more than equivalent fixed-roof models. Prices start at £27,445 in the UK after applying the government’s £3,750 Electric Car Grant. In France, prices start at €31,110 after incentives.
Early access ordering opens immediately for Renault’s R Pass holders, basically customers who previously paid for priority reservation access to skip ahead in the queue. Everyone else can place orders from May 14. Aside from the roof, Renault’s also rolled out updated safety tech across the 4 E-Tech range to comply with Europe’s latest regulations. New systems include driver fatigue monitoring and an emergency stop function capable of safely slowing the vehicle if the driver becomes unresponsive. Renault
Electric Vehicles Renault Renault 4 SUV
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tech Talk: Meta says AI can detect teens lying about age on Instagram and FacebookA longtime Seattle journalist, Luke Duecy joins KIRO Newsradio after several years as a reporter on KOMO 4 News as a general assignment reporter. Luke also recently worked in PR, where he operates a boutique firm.
Read more »
What The Tech: How A.I. is helping stop scammersMontgomery, Alabama
Read more »
April Jobs Report Surpasses Expectations, Boosting Market Confidence Amid Tech LayoffsThe April jobs report revealed a significant increase in employment, surpassing market expectations and stabilizing the unemployment rate. Despite concerns over tech layoffs, the strong job growth and economic indicators suggest a resilient US economy. However, a separate report highlights rising layoffs in the tech sector as companies pivot to AI investments.
Read more »
Tech cofounder's hiring post pokes fun at AI layoff email templatesBusiness Insider tells the global tech, finance, stock market, media, economy, lifestyle, real estate, AI and innovative stories you want to know.
Read more »