News

Renault’s Retro-Cool 4 Is Practically a Steal Right Now

Renault’s newest slice of retro futurism—the reborn Renault 4—has been quietly cruising under the radar. But not anymore. Thanks to a sudden plunge in lease prices, the 4 has become one of the most compelling EV deals in the UK, undercutting expectations and even brushing up against its smaller, less practical sibling, the Renault 5.

A new offer through Leasing Options, via the Auto Express Buy A Car service, lets you slide into the 4’s squared-off driver’s seat for a shockingly low £186.85 per month. This is a three-year lease with an initial payment of £2,592.19, paired with a modest 5,000-mile annual limit. Need more road time? Bumping it to 8,000 miles only adds £15 a month, which feels almost symbolic in today’s EV market.

More Battery, More Range, Almost the Same Price

Here’s what makes this deal pop: the Renault 4, with its bigger 52-kWh battery, is only £2 more per month than a Renault 5 lease. That’s barely the price of a half-decent coffee for 55 extra miles of claimed range. On paper, Renault says the 4 will do 247 miles on a charge. Real-world? Expect something closer to 220 miles, which is plenty respectable for an urban-friendly EV with a taste for the occasional road trip.

The 4 also charges at up to 100 kW, allowing a 15–80 percent top-up in roughly half an hour—quick enough to refuel while grabbing lunch.

Base Trim, But Far From Basic

The trim in question is the entry-level Evolution, though you might not guess that from the equipment list. Renault clearly wanted this one to make a statement. Standard kit includes:

  • 18-inch diamond-cut alloys
  • A crisp 10-inch touchscreen
  • Google’s smooth, intuitive in-car operating system
  • A handsome coat of Carmin Red metallic paint

It’s a spec sheet that reads more premium than budget lease special.

The Practicality Advantage

Beyond power and price, the main reason to pick the 4 over the 5 is space—glorious, useful, everyday space. The 5’s biggest flaw is its tight rear quarters. The 4 fixes that with a more upright, boxy profile that translates into better headroom, more knee room, and an altogether more adult-friendly back seat. The oversized tailgate also makes loading awkward cargo pleasantly effortless.

A Deal Worth Catching While It Lasts

Auto Express curates these offers from dealers and leasing companies across the UK, and like all good deals, this one won’t last forever. Availability is limited, prices fluctuate, and terms apply. If the offer disappears, Renault 4 leases remain plentiful—and still highly competitive—on their dedicated Renault 4 deals page.

For now, though, this might be one of the savviest EV leasing plays on the market:
more range, more space, more personality—yet barely more money.

NEW CARS

Dacia C-Neo: The Budget Brand Aims Straight at the C-Segment Heavyweights

Dacia is gearing up for one of its most ambitious product pushes yet. Internally known as C-Neo, the Romanian value brand’s upcoming crossover is inching closer to production — and if early prototypes are any indication, it’s designed to disturb the calm waters around Europe’s most competitive segment. Consider this Dacia’s shot at the Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Golf, and the rest of the C-segment establishment.

We first heard whispers of the C-Neo back in 2022, but fresh spy shots from Europe now give us our best look yet at Dacia’s next big play. Even under heavy camouflage, the prototype leaves plenty to decode.

A New Shape for a Growing Brand

Despite wearing full winter testing camouflage, the C-Neo already shows off Dacia’s latest design DNA. Up front, the brand’s now-familiar rectangular light signature merges cleanly into a simplified grille wearing the bold new logo. The fascia isn’t shy about angles — a deliberate nod to Dacia’s ongoing shift toward a more rugged, outdoorsy identity.

It doesn’t go full Duster, but it’s also not pretending to be soft. Oversized wheelarches add a dose of visual toughness, and it’ll be interesting to see if Dacia finishes them in its recycled Starkle material, as seen on the brand’s SUVs.

From the side, the C-Neo takes on a slightly unconventional silhouette — something between an estate and a crossover. A sloping rear window gives it a sportier profile than some of its boxier siblings, yet if Dacia chooses to classify it as a raised estate, practicality should remain a strong suit. Expect a useful cargo hold, a Dacia hallmark.

Combustion Power, Because That’s Still Dacia’s Thing

While the test mule hides its exhaust tips, the powertrains are no mystery. The C-Neo sits atop the CMF-B platform, the same cost-efficient architecture underpinning the Clio, Captur, Jogger, Duster, and Nissan Juke. Dacia has been clear: combustion engines remain its bread and butter through the end of the decade.

That means the C-Neo will almost certainly borrow from the brand’s existing catalog:

  • A 1.0-liter turbo three-cylinder with around 109 hp as the likely base engine
  • A 1.2-liter petrol mild-hybrid at roughly 128 hp
  • Potential availability of the 1.6-liter full hybrid (Jogger, Duster)
  • And possibly the new 1.8-liter full-hybrid four-cylinder debuting in the Bigster

None of this is groundbreaking, but that’s entirely the point. Dacia leans heavily on proven Renault-Group components to deliver reliability and manageable running costs, and buyers keep rewarding the brand for it.

A Strategic Move into a Crowded Class

Dacia’s former CEO Denis Le Vot telegraphed this move years ago. The brand wants to expand past the Bigster with one — possibly two — C-segment offerings. By keeping everything on the CMF-B platform, Dacia can scale up without scaling up costs.

If executed right, the C-Neo could be the most significant step in Dacia’s transformation from Europe’s budget outlier to a mainstream disruptor.

The Price Play: Where Dacia Always Wins

Official pricing won’t land until closer to the car’s spring 2026 reveal, but all signs point to Dacia doing what Dacia does best: undercutting everyone.

The new Duster starts at £21,820, and insiders suggest the C-Neo won’t stray far from that ballpark. That positions it dramatically below the £30k-ish starting prices of rivals like the Octavia and Golf.

If the C-Neo delivers the space, durability, and simplicity buyers expect from Dacia — while adding a more modern design and hybrid options — it could become one of the most compelling new-car values of the decade.

We’ll know its final name and specs in 2026, but even in disguise, the C-Neo looks like Dacia’s most confident step yet into the European mainstream. It’s part raised estate, part urban crossover, fully aligned with the brand’s rugged new personality — and very likely a nightmare for competitors trying to justify their higher prices.

If Dacia sticks to its formula, the C-Neo won’t just join the segment. It’ll shake it.

Source: Auto Express

News

UK Government Poised to Supercharge EV Grant as Demand Surges Past Expectations

Just a few months after launching the Electric Car Grant (ECG), the UK government is already preparing to pump in significantly more cash—because drivers are devouring the funds far faster than expected.

Since the ECG’s introduction in July, the Department for Transport says more than 35,000 buyers have claimed the grant. Even at the scheme’s baseline £1,500 discount, that’s £52.5 million already gone. And that’s the minimum figure: certain models, including the Ford Puma Gen-E, qualify for a beefier £3,750 “Band 1” incentive, pushing the total payout even higher.

That early spending spree represents more than 8% of the original £650 million pot—burned through in just a couple of months. At this pace, the grant’s war chest could be empty by late 2027 or early 2028, well ahead of the original March 2029 projection. And that estimate doesn’t even account for rising EV demand, which every major market analyst expects to continue climbing.

To keep the momentum going, the government is now expected to inject a massive £1.3 billion into the scheme—effectively tripling its staying power. Insiders say this move may soften the political blow of the long-rumoured pay-per-mile road tax announcement anticipated in Wednesday’s Budget.

What’s less clear is how the government wants this money to work. Will it simply allow more buyers to benefit under the current rules? Or is the Treasury considering a broader overhaul—perhaps by raising the price cap to allow more models to qualify? If the additional £1.3 billion were spent entirely at the lower £1,500 rate, the ECG could theoretically support more than 371,000 vehicles.

Industry voices are already weighing in. Delvin Lane, CEO of charging-network operator InstaVolt, praised the move:
“It’s great to see the Government stepping up investment in electric vehicles and charging. These signals genuinely move the market, and we’re already seeing the impact on driver confidence.”

But not everyone believes money alone is the key. Tanya Sinclair, CEO of the advocacy group Electric Vehicles UK, points to the need for policy consistency:
“Not every incentive needs to be fiscal. The government’s priority should now be a joined-up approach to vehicle taxation and incentives that give drivers confidence.”

The takeaway? Demand for EVs in the UK is rising sharply, and consumers are voting with their wallets faster than Westminster anticipated. The upcoming Budget will reveal whether the government intends to merely keep pace—or attempt to steer the EV market’s next phase with a broader set of policy tools.

Either way, with charging networks growing, consumer interest rising, and incentives set to expand, the UK’s electric transition looks ready for another surge.

Source: Auto Express

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