Renault brought back the classic Renault 4 in late 2024, turning it into a small electric car. This new version is like a crossover version of the also-revived Renault 5, known in the U.S. as “Le Car.” The updated Renault 4 uses an old name, “Savane,” and introduces a new twist — it has all-wheel drive. This is different from the regular model, which only has front-wheel drive. The Savane concept adds an extra electric motor at the back to power all four wheels.
Renault also made the front and rear tracks slightly wider by 10 millimeters (0.4 inches), giving the car a more stable stance. The company hasn’t shared how much power the concept has, but it should be stronger and faster than the regular Renault 4. For comparison, the standard front-wheel-drive version has 148 horsepower and can go from 0 to 62 mph in 8.2 seconds.
The battery size for the concept hasn’t been confirmed, but it might use the larger 52-kWh battery instead of the smaller 40-kWh one. If so, it could drive up to 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) on a full charge, based on the WLTP test cycle. Like the production model, the Savane rides on Renault’s AmpR Small platform, which is also used by the Renault Twingo, the Renault 5, and even other cars like the Nissan Micra and Alpine A290.
Those other models are front-wheel-drive only, but this concept proves it’s possible to add a rear motor for all-wheel drive. If Alpine builds a dual-motor version of its A290, it could be a very sporty little car. Renault hasn’t said yet if it will actually build a production version of the Savane concept, but it could happen. The company already approved a more extreme electric car — the rear-wheel-drive 5 Turbo 3E — which is expected to cost around €160,000.
If the Savane does make it to production, it will likely be more expensive than the standard Renault 4 with the bigger battery. In France, that version costs €31,490 after a €2,000 environmental bonus is applied.