Electrifying has driven the open-air version of the Renault 4, the one with a canvas roof that rolls back rather than a fixed metal top. The reviewer is blunt about what it is: mechanically identical to the standard Renault 4, with the roof as the only real difference. That roof, whose name the host says translates roughly to south facing, slides back 92 cm, is 80 cm wide, and adds about 19 kg to a car that was already light, taking the total to 1,481 kg. It opens in around 10 seconds and works at speeds up to 56 mph. Crucially, the body stays fixed, so this is not a full convertible. The host's verdict on the open-air premium is delivered early and cheerfully, and most of the rest is the familiar Renault 4 underneath.
The pitch here is an affordable electric car with a slice of open sky, and Renault has very little direct competition for it. The video compares the car to the Fiat 500 with its roll-back roof, but notes the Fiat is a much smaller, pricier package, with the host citing a starting figure around 27,000 pounds for that convertible. Against that, a roomy five-seat hatch with a fabric sunroof looks like good value, especially given how few cheap EVs offer anything playful. One detail worth flagging for buyers is the charging speed. The Renault tops out at 100 kW DC, which the host openly calls not fast enough for 2026, and that is the kind of spec that bites on a long motorway run even if it rarely matters around town. Range and efficiency, by contrast, look strong for the class.
On the numbers, the video reports the canvas-roof car keeps the same 52 kWh battery and a quoted range of 392 km, about 244 miles, which is only four miles short of the hardtop. The host says a colleague has been getting 4.6 miles per kWh in poor UK weather, which is efficient. Power is 150 horsepower with a 0 to 62 mph time of around 8.3 seconds, brisk rather than hot. Renault claims the open roof adds only 4 percent extra wind noise up to 80 mph, a figure the host doubts, saying it sounds louder than that. Inside there is a 10-inch screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Google built in, and a gear selector styled like a lipstick. The car also gets bidirectional charging as standard, meaning vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-grid. On price, the video gives a range of 31,195 to 33,195 pounds before the UK government grant of 3,750 pounds brings it to roughly 27,500 pounds. The car comes in two trims, techno and iconic, rides on 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, and keeps the hardtop's 420-litre boot because the roof only folds back partway. The host also nods to the heritage, noting the original Renault 4 arrived in 1961 and took about 38 seconds to reach 62 mph, a reminder of how far the badge has come.
Bottom line: If you were already going to buy a Renault 4, the roll-back roof is an easy yes. Spending about 1,500 pounds to lose four miles of range and gain open-air driving is the rare options-list decision that actually makes sense, and the host clearly agrees. The real limitation is the 100 kW charging, which keeps this a brilliant town and regional car rather than a motorway mile-muncher. At around 27,500 pounds after the grant, with bidirectional charging thrown in, it is one of the more likeable affordable EVs on sale. Just go in knowing rapid charging is its weak spot.
Commentary on a third-party video. Figures and claims are as presented in the source and have not been independently verified. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.