Auto Express 1679

RETRO, it seems, is big business. Whether you’re talking music, fashion, furniture or cars, we can’t seem to get enough of things that remind us of a time that seems like it wasn’t that long ago. In this issue we’ve got exclusive news about another retro model. The Renault 4 is set to return, hot on the heels of the reborn Renault 5 that sent the internet crazy when it was revealed earlier in the year. Not everyone agrees with Renault boss Luca De Meo that reinvention is worthwhile – and, to be honest, not every brand has as many cool classics to draw on as Renault – but there’s no denying the appeal that modern interpretations of brilliant original designs have. Our passion for all things retro is spilling…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler • Reborn small hatch combines retro styling with electric drive • Lines up alongside R5 in Renault’s expanded EV range RENAULT’S retro reboot is set to continue with an all-new, all-electric version of the Renault 4, Auto Express can confirm. Pictures of a proposed Renault 4 design have been uncovered on a trademarking website, as well as a new version of the Renault logo featuring the number 4. Our exclusive images show how the trademarked car could look in the metal. Renault chief executive officer Luca De Meo recently confirmed to Auto Express that there would be more retro-inspired models in the forthcoming line-up after the well received launch of the Renault 5 Prototype. “There have been so many products that made history, so it would be a pity…

WE asked members of the renault4.co.uk forum what they thought of Renault’s plans to revive the nameplate. “It will be interesting to see what aspects of the original Renault 4 the new car will use,” said one. “The original was proper French out-of-the-box thinking. It was one of the first small hatchbacks, one of the first cars with a maintenance-free cooling system, it had folding rear seats and a fold-down front seat in the van.” “The original R4 was cheap to buy and run and was very practical,” commented another. “It had more boot space than the average estate, and there were some great practical touches. The car was cute and it became classless.” “If the new car shows clean-sheet automotive thinking, it’ll be brilliant” “A new Renault 4 would…

Luke_Wilkinson@autovia.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson • Sporty electric hatch revealed • Up to 335 miles of range SEAT’S sporty spin-off Cupra has launched its first electric model, the Born. It’s a direct rival for the Volkswagen ID.3 and will be on sale in the UK in 2022, priced from around £32,000. The Cupra Born is based on the same MEB platform as the ID.3, so it shares the same battery and electric motor options. The entry-level car has a 45kWh battery and 148bhp electric motor, which Cupra says provides a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds and a maximum range of 211 miles. The 58kWh battery car has a 201bhp electric motor, and the extra capacity increases range to 260 miles, while the 0-62mph time drops to 7.3 seconds. Cupra also offers this powertrain with…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk • Drop-top arrives in summer • Prices start from £82,000 BMW has lifted the lid on its new M4 Competition Convertible, just in time for summer. The new addition to its performance car line-up will start production in July this year and deliveries of the car, priced from £81,915, will follow soon after. As the car’s full name suggests, the M4 Competition Convertible M xDrive is only available to order with M-tuned four-wheel drive. It’s powered by the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six engine as the latest M4 Coupé and M3 saloon, producing 503bhp and 650Nm of torque. With launch control and that xDrive system, the 0-62mph sprint takes 3.7 seconds – just 0.2 seconds slower than the xDrive-equipped M4 Competition Coupé. It’s not the only impressive stat either, because the…

TOYOTA is readying a new small SUV for the US market, and we could potentially see it in Europe as a rival for the Nissan Qashqai. Called the Corolla Cross, it’s already on sale in Asia, but it’s now been spied testing in the US, suggesting a launch is due there. There’s no confirmation whether the Corolla Cross will be sold in the UK, but Toyota’s line-up is becoming increasingly international – take the UK launch of the Highlander as an example. Toyota’s new European boss, Matt Harrison, has also hinted that a new SUV the size of the Corolla Cross is on its way to Europe. Last year, he told us: “The way we see the segments expanding, some are so big frankly that you can’t cover them with…