Renault is preparing a technical upgrade for the electric Renault 4 and Renault 5, promising more power and improved efficiency for its two retro-inspired small EVs from late 2026 or early 2027.
The information comes from Marianne Bataillon, Renault’s director of electric motor and battery development, who told Autocar that work is continuing on the second-generation electric drive units used by both models.
More efficient electricity use
The focus is on improving the inverter and reduction gearbox, two areas that can deliver more efficient electricity use and higher output without requiring a larger battery.
No figures have been announced yet. Renault has not said how much extra power the updated cars will deliver, nor how many additional kilometers of WLTP range this may yield. But the timing is significant, as the French brand’s two most important small EVs face a growing wave of competition in 2027.
Today, both the Renault 5 and Renault 4 use the same basic AmpR Small platform and are sold with two battery and motor combinations. The Urban Range versions combine a 90 kW electric motor with a 40 kWh battery.
Renault quotes WLTP ranges of up to 312 kilometers for the Renault 5, and 308 kilometers for the slightly larger Renault 4. The Comfort Range versions use a 110 kW motor and a 52 kWh battery, with up to 410 km for the R5 and 409 km for the R4.
Gap with competition
Those figures remain competitive, but the gap with the next generation of small electric cars is beginning to show. Volkswagen is preparing the ID. Polo with up to 155 kW, a 52 kWh battery, and a claimed range of up to 454 km.
Skoda’s related Epiq is expected to offer more than 440 km on its largest battery. Renault’s response appears to be to extract more from the existing platform rather than launch an entirely new one.
There may also be a battery story developing behind the motor upgrade. Adam Wood, managing director of Renault UK, recently told Auto Express that lithium-iron phosphate battery technology is part of the future product roadmap for the Urban Range versions of both the R4 and R5.
That could help Renault reduce costs and protect entry-level pricing as Chinese brands and Volkswagen Group rivals intensify the battle for affordable electric cars.
Not confirmed yet
However, Renault has not confirmed a timetable, battery capacity, or the exact role LFP will play. It is therefore too early to conclude that the current 40 kWh NMC battery will simply be replaced. Renault could retain a similar capacity, introduce a cheaper, smaller pack, or use LFP to create a new entry-level version below the existing Urban Range cars.
The idea is nevertheless credible. Renault is already rolling out LFP battery technology beyond the forthcoming entry-level Twingo E-Tech.
Its updated Mégane E-Tech Electric replaces the previous 60 kWh NMC pack with a 67 kWh LFP battery, raising claimed WLTP range to 500 km while also targeting lower cost, greater durability, and a more European supply chain. The cells are supplied by LG Energy Solution from Poland, with the pack and car assembled at Renault’s Douai plant in northern France.
That makes an eventual LFP version of the Renault 4 and Renault 5 far more than a theoretical possibility. Renault now has an LFP strategy spanning its EV range, from the 27.5 kWh Twingo city car to the 67 kWh Mégane compact.
For the smaller R4 and R5, the technology could help Renault protect entry-level prices or create a more affordable version below today’s 40 kWh Urban Range models, although the company has yet to confirm capacity, timing, or exact specifications.
For Belgian customers, nothing changes immediately. Renault Belgium continues to offer the R4 and R5 with the existing 40- and 52-kWh battery options.
The Renault 4 Urban Range starts from €30,100 including VAT, with the 150 hp Comfort Range version starting from €33,100. The revised powertrains are a future development, not a new version that can be ordered now.
