Renault Safrane

The Renault Safrane is an executive car that Renault designed and built from 1992 to 2000, replacing the Renault 25 and remaining the most expensive and most luxurious Renault on sale. It kept the 25's five-door hatchback and notchback shape, with transverse engines driving the front wheels and four-wheel drive on some versions, and it was the first Renault fitted with airbags. Engineers aimed to cure the 25's weak chassis stiffness and build quality, which made it 200 to 300 kg heavier. Petrol and diesel engines were offered, topped from 1994 by the 262 PS twin-turbo Biturbo with all-wheel drive, of which only 806 were made. Sales were limited: just over 300,000 were built across eight years, against nearly 800,000 Renault 25s. The Vel Satis succeeded it. The name was reused from 2008 to 2019 for a different car based on the Renault Samsung SM5.