Renault X-45

The Renault X-45 was a prototype developed under the company’s Véhicule Bas de Gamme (VBG) program, which sought a modern, affordable successor to the long-lived Renault 4.

Designed by Marcello Gandini — recruited by Robert Opron — the X-45 explored fresh ideas in compact, practical urban transport.

To demonstrate flexibility in potential production versions, the car was built with an unusual asymmetrical layout: two doors on one side hinted at a five-door configuration, while a single door on the opposite side suggested a three-door option.

Its upright, utilitarian shape positioned it as Renault’s response to the successful Fiat Panda, combining straightforward engineering with smart space use.

Although the concept showed considerable promise, a change in leadership shifted priorities. When Patrick Le Quément took over Renault’s design department, the X-45 was shelved, leaving the prototype as a fascinating but unrealized path in the brand’s city-car evolution.