Renault is adding an electric fabric sunroof to its 4 E-Tech compact EV, reviving a concept the brand first tried with the open-top Renault 4 Plein Air in the 1960s. The new "Plein Sud" variant opens for orders May 5, 2026, and delivers a 36-by-31-inch (920 mm × 800 mm) canvas opening that lets both front and rear passengers feel the breeze. Renault has not sold cars in North America since 1987, and no US launch is planned.
What the Plein Sud actually offers
The Plein Sud runs the same 52 kWh battery and 150 hp motor found in the standard Renault 4 E-Tech. Renault claims up to 247 miles under WLTP — the EU range-test standard — compared to just over 250 miles for the steel-roof version. The soft top trims a few miles off efficiency, but the trade-off is modest.
Renault says the convertible roof was engineered into the car's structure from the start, not grafted on later. That matters: front headroom measures 906 mm and rear headroom 813 mm — actually more than the 886 mm / 853 mm of the standard hard-roof model. That's a meaningful distinction in a segment where open-air options usually cost interior space.
Renault 4 E-Tech Plein Sud with electric fabric roof open
The roof opens and closes electronically, either via a dashboard button or voice command. Two trim levels will be offered: Techno and Iconic, both carrying 18-inch wheels and an OpenR Link infotainment system with built-in Google services. The full Renault 4 lineup also gains an expanded 28-item driver-assistance suite with this update.
Pricing and UK context
In the UK, the Techno trim starts at £25,945 before the £3,750 Electric Car Grant, which drops effective entry to around £23,445. The Iconic tops out near £27,945 pre-grant. Rapid DC charging hits 100 kW, taking the battery from 10 to 80 percent in roughly 35–40 minutes. The UK spec uses CCS1 legacy rapid charging alongside Type 2 AC at 11 kW onboard.
UK company-car drivers get an added push: EVs carry a zero-percent benefit-in-kind (company-car tax) rate through 2028, making the Plein Sud an unusually affordable perk for fleet buyers.
No US path — but the idea travels
The Plein Sud has no direct US equivalent. Renault's neo-retro strategy — first applied to the Renault 5 E-Tech, which channels that model's 1970s design — is purely a European play for now. The closest analogs stateside would be the Mini Cooper SE Convertible or a Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid for buyers who want open-air driving with some electrification. Neither matches the Plein Sud's compact footprint or price point, which underscores the gap this segment leaves in the US market.
