New Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept turns Renault’s ELECTRIC R4 in to a butch AWD Crossover

The Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept is revealed as a butch take on Renault’s new electric R4, with AWD, raised ride height and wider track.

Reviving icon badges and attaching them to new EVs is now a bit of a thing as car makers strive to turn buyers on to electric cars, although some modern retro-badged EVs haven’t been a customer hit (hello, new Ford Capri EV).

One retro-badged EV that has hit the buyer happy button is the new Renault 5, which has managed to look very much like a modern interpretation of the original, offer real character and be a sensible price (for an EV).

Now Renault is looking to repeat the R5’s recipe with the new electric Renault 4 – revealed back in October – as another retro-inspired EV which also does a great job of evoking the original, but in a modern EV package.

Now, despite the regular R4 not arriving with customers until later this year, Renault looks to be previewing a new R4 model with the reveal of the Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept, billed as a concept but looking production-ready.

The R4 Savane rides 15mm higher than the regular R4 – and has wider track front and back – with sort of ‘steelie’ 18″ wheels wrapped in Goodyear UltraGrip rubber, 3-D printed overriders on the bumpers for better impact absorption, 4×4 badging, gloss black cladding and trim highlights and Deep Brown textiled fabrics inside.

To add to the butch makeover and increased ride height and track, the Savane comes with an additional motor at the back for proper AWD, and although Renault isn’t divulging details that should mean anything up to 300bhp on offer, powered by a 52kWh battery.

Whether the Savana 4×4 is heading for production is uncertain, but Renault has had a butch ‘0ff-road’ R4 on its radar for some time, having revealed the Renault 4EVER Trophy Concept back in 2022, so a production version of the Savane does seem highly likley.

Sandeep Bhambra, Renault Chief Designer, said:

True to the spirit of exploration of the Renault 4 Savane from the 1960s, the Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept show car pushes the adventurous side of the Renault 4 E-Tech electric to the maximum. Its increased ground clearance and widened tracks are combined with a permanently active all-wheel drive system to allow it to tackle the most rugged terrains.

The Renault 4 Savane 4×4 gets its first public outing at the French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros, alongside the new Renault 5 Turbo 3E.