Electric Renault 4 leaked in patent images

The all-new Renault 4 has been leaked months before you're supposed to see it, with images used to patent its new design surfacing online.

The design drawings suggest that instead of being a cutesy retro reboot, the all-new Renault 4 will be reincarnated as a basic small SUV with squared-off proportions.

Set to be unveiled later this year, the new 2022 Renault 4 mirrors the original boxy, practical utilitarian look but adds an unusual detailing around the rear C-pillar.

Riding far taller than the closely-related next-gen Renault 5, it's clear the French car-maker will position the R4 as an SUV.

Note the plastic cladding around the wheel-arches and lower sills.

Expected to cost less than the Renault 5, the Renault 4 is likely to spawn a delivery van version, with a concept for the Renault 4 van set to be unveiled in November to coincide with the nameplate’s 60th birthday.

Beneath the skin, the Renault 4 will sit on the same CMF-B platform as the new 5 and share its electric powertrains.

Originally created as a direct rival to the Citroen 2CV, the Renault 4 was somehow still being built at a plant in Slovenia in 1994.

Over its 33-year reign, the 4 was assembled at an incredible 17 factories around the world, including Renault’s Heidelberg factory in Victoria, where it was built from 1962-1966.

Globally, more than eight million were made, with the 4 winning a reputation for its toughness, decent ride and load-carrying abilities.