Magnifique! Renault toughens up little SUV
Renault has given its reborn 4 a cup of cement to harden it up, lifting the SUV to go off the beaten track.
Unveiled ahead of the 2025 French Open, the Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept is the French carmaker’s latest tease of what it could one day launch on the mass market.
Based on the Renault 4 E-Tech - launched this year as the electric successor to the original R4 hatchback - the Savane 4×4 Concept borrows its name from previous versions of the model.
To give the R4 some off-road ability, Renault jacked up its ride height by 15mm, while its utilitarian-looking 18-inch wheels are shod in Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ tyres, made for slippery surfaces.
Unlike the standard R4 E-Tech, the Savane has - as the 4×4 name suggests - gained a rear electric motor, teamed with the standard front motor for a full-time four-wheel drive drivetrain.
Renault claims that the concept “demonstrates the potential of the AmpR Small platform to create a B-segment electric vehicle with four-wheel drive”.
Cosmetically, the concept is finished in unique Jade Green paint, which is paired with gloss black bumper trim - though the faux air intakes on the front are now adorned with the ‘X’ design from a jerry can, ironic given its electric powertrain.
Inside, the Deep Brown refined textile fabric upholsters a majority of the cabin, while a backlight 4Savane logo sits on the dashboard in front of the passenger.
Standard equipment from the R4 E-Tech such as a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen and a digital instrument cluster carries across.
While Renault hasn’t yet confirmed it for production, the R4 Savane 4×4 could give the French brand a rival to quasi-off-road EVs such as the Jeep Avenger, though it probably won’t be challenging the Suzuki Jimny any time soon.
Renault Australia hasn’t yet locked in the R4 E-Tech locally.
