Renault 4: which version to buy and why
The Renault 4 choice is two generations and six named versions, not one car. First generation (1962-01-01–1991-12-31) is Mini 5-doors with four petrol manuals: 0.8 MT 26 hp, 0.8 MT 34 hp, 1.0 MT, 1.1 MT. Second generation (from 2025-03-01, end not measured) is SUV 5-doors with two Electros both named AT: AT 122 hp and AT 150 hp. Front-wheel drive is FWD on every version.
The Renault 4 choice is two generations and six named versions, not one car. First generation (1962-01-01–1991-12-31) is Mini 5-doors with four petrol manuals: 0.8 MT 26 hp, 0.8 MT 34 hp, 1.0 MT, 1.1 MT. Second generation (from 2025-03-01, end not measured) is SUV 5-doors with two Electros both named AT: AT 122 hp and AT 150 hp. Front-wheel drive is FWD on every version. If the job is city mass and a carburetor four-cylinder, stay in generation 1. If the job is 10.5 s to 100 km/h and a 150 km/h cap on Automatic 1-speed Electro, stay in generation 2. There is no overlap in fuel, gearbox family, or body type between the two generations.
Generations: what actually changed when you pick one over the other
Generation 1 (1962-01-01–1991-12-31) is Mini 5-doors, four versions. Every engine is Gasoline, Inline 4, 2 valves per cylinder, Carburetor, Central layout. Boost is not measured on all four. Gearbox is Manual: 3 speeds on both 0.8 MT versions, 4 speeds on 1.0 MT and 1.1 MT. Suspension is Independent, torsion front and rear. Brakes are Drum front and rear. Ground clearance is 175 mm on all four. Tank is 34 L on all four. Kerb weight spans 600 kg (0.8 MT 26 hp and 0.8 MT 34 hp) to 720 kg (1.1 MT). That is a 120 kg spread, 20% above the lightest, for the same Mini 5-doors shell.
Generation 2 (from 2025-03-01, production end not measured) is SUV 5-doors, two versions, both AT. Fuel is Electro. Gearbox is Automatic, 1 speed. Drive remains FWD. Suspension is Independent, spring front and rear. Front brakes are Ventilated disc; rear brakes are Disc. 0–100 km/h is 10.5 s on both AT versions; top speed is 150 km/h on both. Kerb weight is not measured on AT 122 hp and is 1410 kg on AT 150 hp. Versus generation 1, that 1410 kg is 710 kg more than the 600 kg 0.8 MT pair (+118%) and 690 kg more than 1.0 MT at 695 kg (+99%). Power jumps from a generation-1 maximum of 34 hp to 122 hp or 150 hp: AT 122 hp is 88 hp above 34 hp (3.6 times); AT 150 hp is 116 hp above 34 hp (4.4 times).
Restyling is not listed as a separate generation. The catalogue has two generations, not more.
Renault 4 specs: engines compared (hp, Nm, displacement, fuel)
| Version | Generation | hp (kW) | Nm | Displacement, cc | Fuel | Cylinders / layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 MT 26 hp | 1 | 26 (19) | not measured | 844 | not measured | 4 Inline | not measured | Manual 3 | FWD |
| 0.8 MT 34 hp | 1 | 34 (25) | not measured | 844 | 80 | 4 Inline | not measured | Manual 3 | FWD |
| 1.0 MT | 1 | 34 (25) at 5000 | 64 at 2500 | 956 | 80 | 4 Inline | not measured | Manual 4 | FWD |
| 1.1 MT | 1 | 34 (25) at 4000 | 74 at 2500 | 1108 | 80 | 4 Inline | not measured | Manual 4 | FWD |
| AT 122 hp | 2 | 122 (89) | 225 | not measured | Electro | not measured | not measured | Automatic 1 | FWD |
| AT 150 hp | 2 | 150 (110) | 245 | not measured | Electro | not measured | not measured | Automatic 1 | FWD |
Renault 4 engine size in generation 1 is 844 cc, 956 cc, or 1108 cc. Specific output from those displacements: 0.8 MT 34 hp is 40.3 hp per litre (34 / 0.844). 1.0 MT is 35.6 hp per litre (34 / 0.956). 0.8 MT 26 hp is 30.8 hp per litre (26 / 0.844). 1.1 MT is 30.7 hp per litre (34 / 1.108). The densest petrol in the table is therefore 0.8 MT 34 hp, not the larger 1.1 MT.
Renault 4 horsepower in generation 1 is only two figures: 26 hp or 34 hp. Both 0.8 MT 34 hp, 1.0 MT, and 1.1 MT share 34 hp / 25 kW. They are not the same engine on the numbers that are measured: 1.0 MT peaks at 5000 rpm, 1.1 MT at 4000 rpm; 1.1 MT has 74 Nm versus 64 Nm on 1.0 MT (+10 Nm, +16%); 1.1 MT compression ratio is 9.5 versus 8.3 on 1.0 MT; bore × stroke is 70 × 72 on 1.1 MT versus 65 × 72 on 1.0 MT. On 0.8 MT 26 hp and 0.8 MT 34 hp, peak rpm, torque, compression, and bore × stroke are not measured.
Renault 4 electric horsepower is 122 hp (89 kW) on AT 122 hp and 150 hp (110 kW) on AT 150 hp. The 150 hp AT adds 28 hp (+23%) and 20 Nm (+9%, 245 versus 225). Displacement, cylinders, layout, and boost on both Electros are not measured.
Renault 4 performance: 0–100, top speed, fuel consumption
0–100 km/h is not measured on 0.8 MT 26 hp, 0.8 MT 34 hp, 1.0 MT, and 1.1 MT. On both generation-2 AT versions it is 10.5 s. The extra 28 hp on AT 150 hp does not change that 10.5 s figure in this dataset.
Top speed: 1.0 MT 118 km/h, 1.1 MT 120 km/h (+2 km/h for +152 cc and +10 Nm at the same 34 hp). 0.8 MT 26 hp and 0.8 MT 34 hp: not measured. Both AT versions: 150 km/h. Versus 1.1 MT, generation 2 is +30 km/h on the measured cap. Versus 1.0 MT, +32 km/h. The 150 hp AT does not raise the 150 km/h cap versus the 122 hp AT.
Fuel consumption (city, highway, mixed) is not measured on all six versions. CO2 is not measured on all six. Eco class is not measured on all six. Renault 4 fuel consumption cannot be ranked from this catalogue; the only fuel labels present are 80 on 0.8 MT 34 hp, 1.0 MT, and 1.1 MT, not measured on 0.8 MT 26 hp, and Electro on both AT versions. Tank volume is 34 L on all four generation-1 versions and not measured on both AT versions.
Renault 4 weight kg, ground clearance, tank, wheels
Kerb weight: 0.8 MT 26 hp 600 kg; 0.8 MT 34 hp 600 kg; 1.0 MT 695 kg; 1.1 MT 720 kg; AT 122 hp not measured; AT 150 hp 1410 kg.
Gross weight: 1.0 MT 1030 kg; 1.1 MT 1050 kg; both 0.8 MT versions not measured; both AT versions not measured. Payload where both masses exist: 1.0 MT 335 kg (1030 − 695); 1.1 MT 330 kg (1050 − 720). 1.1 MT is 25 kg heavier at the kerb and 20 kg heavier gross, so it carries 5 kg less payload than 1.0 MT.
Weight per horsepower (kerb / hp): 0.8 MT 34 hp 17.6 kg/hp (600 / 34); 1.0 MT 20.4 kg/hp (695 / 34); 1.1 MT 21.2 kg/hp (720 / 34); 0.8 MT 26 hp 23.1 kg/hp (600 / 26); AT 150 hp 9.4 kg/hp (1410 / 150). AT 122 hp cannot be scored: kerb is not measured. On measured pairs, generation 2 AT 150 hp is the lightest per horsepower even at 1410 kg, because 150 hp is 4.4 times the 34 hp ceiling of generation 1.
Ground clearance is 175 mm on all four generation-1 versions and not measured on both AT versions. Wheel sizes are not measured on all six versions. Renault 4 dimensions beyond these masses, 175 mm clearance, and the 34 L tank are not in this dataset; generation-2 clearance, tank, and wheels are not measured.
Which Renault 4 version to choose
Stay in generation 1 if the body must be Mini 5-doors and the drivetrain Manual FWD Gasoline. Then pick among the four manuals by mass, gears, and torque, not by peak horsepower: three of the four are 34 hp.
Choose 0.8 MT 34 hp when the target is the lowest measured kg/hp in generation 1 (17.6) at 600 kg kerb and 844 cc. Versus 0.8 MT 26 hp it is the same 600 kg, same 844 cc, same Manual 3, same 175 mm, same 34 L tank, same Independent, torsion, same Drum/Drum, same Central Carburetor Inline 4 — and +8 hp (+31%). Fuel on the 34 hp 0.8 MT is 80; on the 26 hp 0.8 MT fuel is not measured. Torque on both 0.8 MT versions is not measured, so the 8 hp gap is the only measured output difference.
Choose 0.8 MT 26 hp only if 26 hp / 19 kW is enough and 600 kg is the point. It is the weakest version in the whole catalogue. Versus 0.8 MT 34 hp you give up 8 hp and keep the same kerb. Versus 1.0 MT you are 95 kg lighter (600 versus 695) but 8 hp down and on 3 speeds instead of 4; top speed on this 0.8 MT is not measured, so you cannot claim it is slower than the 118 km/h 1.0 MT from these figures.
Choose 1.0 MT when you want 4 speeds, measured 64 Nm at 2500 rpm, measured 118 km/h, measured 1030 kg gross, and 695 kg kerb — still 34 hp, like the stronger 0.8 MT, but +95 kg versus that 600 kg pair. Versus 1.1 MT you save 25 kg kerb and 20 kg gross, keep the same 34 hp / 25 kW and the same Manual 4 FWD, and give up 10 Nm (64 versus 74) and 2 km/h (118 versus 120). Peak power rpm is 5000 versus 4000 on 1.1 MT. Compression is 8.3 versus 9.5. Displacement is 956 cc versus 1108 cc (−152 cc, −14%). Specific output is higher on 1.0 MT (35.6 hp/L versus 30.7). Payload is 5 kg higher (335 versus 330).
Choose 1.1 MT when 74 Nm and 120 km/h matter more than the extra 25 kg. It is the strongest measured torque in generation 1 and the highest measured top speed in generation 1. It is also the heaviest Mini 5-doors at 720 kg and the lowest hp per litre among the four petrols. Engine size is the largest in the model: 1108 cc. Fuel is 80, same as 1.0 MT and 0.8 MT 34 hp.
Move to generation 2 if the body must be SUV 5-doors and the fuel Electro. Both versions are named AT. Gearbox is Automatic 1, drive FWD, 0–100 is 10.5 s, top speed is 150 km/h — identical on both. Suspension and brakes are identical in the table: Independent, spring; Ventilated disc front, Disc rear.
Choose AT 122 hp when 122 hp / 89 kW and 225 Nm are enough. You do not get a measured kerb, gross, clearance, tank, or wheels. You do not get a better 0–100 or a higher cap than AT 150 hp: both are 10.5 s and 150 km/h. What you give up versus AT 150 hp is 28 hp and 20 Nm.
Choose AT 150 hp when 150 hp / 110 kW, 245 Nm, and a measured 1410 kg kerb are the point. Versus AT 122 hp that is +23% power and +9% torque with no change in the measured 10.5 s and 150 km/h. Versus generation-1 1.1 MT it is +116 hp, +171 Nm (245 versus 74), +30 km/h (150 versus 120), +690 kg kerb (1410 versus 720), Automatic 1 versus Manual 4, Electro versus Gasoline 80, SUV 5-doors versus Mini 5-doors. 0–100 on 1.1 MT is not measured, so a sprint ranking across generations is not available. Weight per horsepower on AT 150 hp is 9.4 kg/hp versus 21.2 on 1.1 MT.
What the “extra” does not buy, on these numbers. Extra displacement in generation 1 (1.1 MT versus 1.0 MT) does not buy more horsepower: both are 34 hp. Extra horsepower in generation 2 (AT 150 hp versus AT 122 hp) does not buy a shorter 0–100 or a higher top speed: both are 10.5 s and 150 km/h. Extra 8 hp on 0.8 MT 34 hp versus 0.8 MT 26 hp does not change kerb weight: both are 600 kg. Extra gears (1.0 MT / 1.1 MT 4-speed versus 0.8 MT 3-speed) come with 95–120 kg more kerb. Fuel consumption, CO2, wheel sizes, and generation-2 clearance and tank are not measured on the versions that lack them; they are not a reason to pick one row over another in this catalogue.
Short map. Lightest: 0.8 MT 26 hp and 0.8 MT 34 hp at 600 kg. Best measured kg/hp in generation 1: 0.8 MT 34 hp at 17.6. Highest generation-1 torque and top speed: 1.1 MT at 74 Nm and 120 km/h. Highest generation-1 payload among rows with both masses: 1.0 MT at 335 kg. Only Electros, only Automatic, only SUV 5-doors, only measured 0–100: AT 122 hp and AT 150 hp. Only measured generation-2 kerb: AT 150 hp at 1410 kg. Peak power in the model: AT 150 hp at 150 hp / 110 kW.