Key facts
- Manufacturer
- Renault
- Also called
- Renault R4, Renault 4L ( Quatrelle ), Renault R3
- Production
- 1961–1992 (until 1994 in Slovenia), Over eight million units
- Class
- B-segment, small economy family car
- Body style
- 5-door hatchback , 2-door panel van , 2-door pickup truck
- Layout
- Front mid-engine, front-wheel drive
- Related
- Renault 5 , Renault 6 , Renault 7 , Renault Rodeo
- Engine
- 603 cc 690 I4 (R3 only) 747 cc 680 I4 782 cc 839 I4 845 cc 800/B1B I4 956 cc C1C I4 1108 cc C1E I4
- Transmission
- 3-speed manual , 4-speed manual
- Wheelbase
- 2,440 mm (96.1 in) (right) , 2,395 mm (94.3 in) (left)
- Length
- 3,663 mm (144.2 in)
- Width
- 1,485 mm (58.5 in)
- Height
- 1,470 mm (57.9 in)
- Kerb weight
- 600–750 kg (1,323–1,653 lb)
- Predecessor
- Renault 4CV
- Successor
- Renault 4 E-Tech
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- R4 3 v sst.jpg
- Height
- 1470
- Width
- 1430
- Length
- 3663
Show 3 more facts
- Commons category
- Renault 4
- total produced
- 8135424
- nickname
- Studentenauto
Sources (3)
via Wikidata · CC0
~29 min read
Article
The Renault 4, or R4 in short (and 4L, pronounced "Quatrelle" in French French pronunciation: [ˈkatʁɛl]), is an economy car built by the French company Renault from 1961 to 1994. Although it was first marketed as a short estate or wagon, its minimal rear body length, and its top-hinged, single-piece tail-gate means that it is now recognised as the world's first mass-produced hatchback.
It was also the first time Renault had used a front-wheel drive layout in a family car, the first in a string of Renault's and other carmakers' front-wheel drives that all still used longitudinal engine placement, including Renault's models R5, R6, and R16; joining Citroën's 2CV (the Renault 4's prime competition), and Citroën Ami and DS, as well as models from Audi and Saab, before most, including Renault, switched to transverse engines, like on the 1959 Mini. A bare-bones, entry-level Renault 3, or R3 was also offered in 1961/1962.