Following a 30-year hiatus, the Renault 4 was reinvented in late 2024, evolving from a gasoline econobox right into a small electrical car. Basically a crossover model of the reborn Renault 5 (aka Le Automobile in america), the subcompact EV revives one other identify: Savane. Not like the front-wheel-drive manufacturing mannequin, the brand new idea options an all-wheel-drive setup by including a rear motor.
Past the dual-motor format, contemporary Jade Inexperienced paint, and pixelated cloth roof, the Renault 4 Savane 4×4 idea additionally advantages from a lifted suspension. The excessive heels increase floor clearance by 0.6 inches (15 millimeters). We wouldn’t go as far as to name it an off-roader, nevertheless it ought to be extra succesful off the crushed path than the usual automobile. It nonetheless rides on 18-inch wheels, now a newly designed set wrapped in Goodyear UltraGrip Efficiency+ tires measuring 225/55.
Photograph by: Renault
Renault’s engineers additionally widened the entrance and rear tracks by 0.4 inches (10 millimeters). Whereas energy output hasn’t been disclosed, the idea definitely provides extra oomph than the usual mannequin’s front-mounted motor, which is rated at 148 hp (110 kW) and 181 lb-ft (245 Nm). It must also be considerably faster than the common Renault 4’s 8.2-second 0-62 mph time.
The battery measurement stays unknown, although it may function the bigger 52-kWh pack as an alternative of the usual 40-kWh battery. With the previous, the Renault 4 is able to 249 miles (400 kilometers) of vary on the WLTP cycle. Just like the manufacturing model, the Savane idea rides on the AmpR Small structure, which is shared with the smaller Twingo and the bigger Renault 5. Nissan’s new Micra supermini and Alpine’s A290 sizzling hatch additionally use this platform.
All these fashions are front-wheel drive solely, however the brand new idea exhibits that an all-wheel-drive setup with a rear motor is technically possible. A dual-motor Alpine A290 can be a veritable pocket rocket. Renault hasn’t confirmed whether or not a manufacturing model of the Savane is deliberate, nevertheless it’s definitely doable. In any case, the French automaker greenlit the wild 5 Turbo 3E, a rear-wheel-drive electrical sizzling hatch that now carries a provisional asking value of €160,000 (practically $180,000).
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Supply: Renault
This isn’t Renault’s first off-road-themed tackle the brand new 4. A few years earlier than the manufacturing mannequin debuted, the 4ever Trophy idea hinted on the potential for a extra adventurous model. Hopefully, the corporate with the diamond emblem will give the challenge the inexperienced mild and make the Renault 4 stand out from the present crop of unexciting small crossovers out there in Europe.
If accredited, it is going to value greater than the common Renault 4 with the larger battery, which is on the market at dwelling in France from €31,490 ($35,300) after factoring within the €2,000 ($2,200) environmental bonus.
