2026 Renault 4 Savane 4x4 Concept revealed

The 2026 Renault 4 Savane 4x4 Concept has been unveiled at the 2025 French Open tennis tournament, with Renault tipped to introduce an all-wheel-drive version of its small SUV as soon as next year.

Reviving a name first used in the 1950s on a rough-road variant of the Renault Colorale wagon, the new Renault 4 Savane 4x4 Concept doesn’t quite look ready to rob the Suzuki Jimny of its off-road crown.

Instead, engineers have broadened the R4’s track by 20mm, while increasing its already high-riding ground clearance by 15mm. Other changes include bolting on a set of heavy-duty 18-inch rims wrapped in stickier Goodyear UltraGrip tyres.

Painted in a fetching shade of Jade Green that’s combined with an unusual printed fabric roof, the R4 gets bespoke bumpers with shock absorbing overriders that are designed to handle the low-speed impacts associated with off-roading.

Within, brown seats that feature houndstooth cloth inserts and bolsters are blended with a mud-coloured dash, conveniently hiding any dirt you might introduce to the cabin.

Renault has been careful not to give the game away when it comes to the new R4 Savane’s hardware, but the regular version comes equipped with a single front-mounted e-motor that produces either 88kW or 110kW.

It’s been tipped that the concept will use the punchier 110kW unit to spin up the rear wheels. That means the R4 4x4 might push out as much as 220kW of power.

If so, expect the little 4x4 to beat many so-called hot hatches off the line with a 0-100km/h dash of around 5.0 seconds.

Originally it was not known whether the AmpR Small architecture that underpins the R4 (and R5 hatch) could package an all-wheel-drive powertrain, but the evidence of the new concept likely points to a performance application.

Expect the dual-motor set-up to power a Renault or Alpine hot hatch that will sit in between the A290 and the larger (and much wilder) Renault 5 Turbo 3E.

Renault has yet to confirm the dual-motor R4 for production. Instead, the French brand says its latest concept simply “demonstrates the potential of the AmpR Small platform to create a B-segment electric vehicle with four-wheel drive”.

Renault execs are now said to be working behind the scenes to build a business case for the flagship R4.

In Europe, the Renault 4 Savane 4x4 Concept is already being pitched as a replacement for those looking for an all-electric successor for the similarly sized Fiat Panda 4x4.

Back in Australia, the Renault 4 is still to be officially locked in for an arrival here, although the Renault 5 E-Tech has been pencilled in for touchdown this year.

It’s thought that the arrival of the battery-electric hatch has been timed to land at the same time as when the New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) rules come into place on July 1, 2025.

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