The Renault 4 E-Tech Plein Sud brings a canvas folding roof to the electric world

Renault is reaching back into the past to make its new electric cars a little bit more exciting. The French automaker revealed the Renault 4 E-Tech Plein Sud - this version of their small SUV gets a classic design trick from the 1960s. It replaces the standard metal top with a giant fabric roof that folds away, allowing drivers to enjoy the fresh air without spending a small fortune on a convertible.

The name "Plein Sud" means "due south" in French. It suggests a trip toward the sun and the beach. This special version of the Renault 4 E-Tech promises to make EVs feel less like appliances and more like fun toys. Many modern electric cars look very similar to each other, but this one uses retro style to stand out from the crowd.

The main attraction of the Plein Sud is the canvas roof. It is quite large, measuring 31.5 inches wide and 36.2 inches long. In the old days, owners of the original Renault 4 had to pull their fabric roofs back by hand. Thankfully, Renault knows that people prefer not to do the heavy lifting, and the new roof is fully electric. You can open it in several stages to get just the right amount of breeze.

If you find pressing a button too difficult, Renault has a solution for that too. The car comes with a voice assistant named Reno. You can simply ask the car to open the roof for you. It is a bit silly to talk to your car to move a piece of fabric, but it is a fun trick to show your friends. Renault claims this is currently the only fully electric SUV in this size category that offers a folding canvas setup.

Under that funky roof, the Renault 4 E-Tech uses the same mechanical parts as the standard model. It has a 52 kWh battery pack that sends power to a motor mounted at the front of the vehicle. The motor delivers 147 hp (or 110 kW) - plenty of power for a car of this size. It helps the vehicle navigate through city traffic with ease and keep up on the highway without any trouble.

Range is always a big question for people looking at EVs. Usually, changing the shape of a car or adding a fabric roof makes it less aerodynamic. This can hurt how far the car goes on a charge, but the Plein Sud is still very efficient. It can travel up to 242 miles on a full charge. The version with the solid metal roof goes 249 miles. Losing only 7 miles of range is a small price to pay for having a giant hole in the roof to see the stars.

The Plein Sud is an option for the higher trim levels of the Renault 4 E-Tech. You can find it on the Techno+ and Iconic+ versions. Choosing the folding fabric roof adds a premium of $2,100 to the total cost. Quality sunshine apparently has a specific price tag. In the United Kingdom, the car starts at $37,690. This price is lower than it seems because it includes a $5,150 government grant for electric cars. In France, the starting price is $36,450 after local incentives are applied.

Renault also added new safety technology to the entire Renault 4 E-Tech lineup. These changes help the car follow new European safety rules. The car now includes a system that watches the driver for signs of tiredness - if the car thinks you are falling asleep, it will warn you to take a break. There is also a new emergency stop feature. This system can tell if a driver stops responding to the road. If the driver has a medical emergency or stops steering, the car can safely slow down and bring itself to a complete stop.

If you want to be the first person with a folding-roof EV, you might need a special pass. Renault opened orders early for people who hold an R Pass. These are customers who paid a fee earlier to skip to the front of the line. For the rest of the public, ordering begins on May 14. The Renault 4 E-Tech Plein Sud is a unique offering - it combines the utility of an SUV with the fun of a convertible and the style of a classic car. As more EVs enter the market, small details like a canvas roof might be exactly what drivers need.

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