Touchdown as Renault debuts new coupe-styled Rafale SUV

Teased for the first and only time last month, Renault, overnight, officially showcased the new Rafale at a gala event as part of the annual Paris Air Show.

Slotting-in above the Arkana as its new flagship coupe-styled SUV, the Rafale takes its name from the Caudron C.430 Rafale single engine aeroplane that used a 180 kW Renault Aero engine to set a series of speed records in 1934.

Second coupe-SUV

At the same, the newcomer introduces a subtly different styling language from the Austral and Espace it is spun-off from, which Renault describes as “daring” and “dynamic” for a coupe SUV.

Riding on the same CMF-D platform as its sibling and indeed also the new Nissan X-Trail, the Rafale measures 4 710 mm long, stands 1 610 mm tall and rides on a wheelbase stretching 2 740 mm. The provided width is 1 860 mm.

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Simillar in final execution to the fastback-inspired Peugeot 408, the Rafale’s biggest difference from the Espace and Austral is the lowered roofline and tailgate Renault says has been designed not only because of aesthetics, but to also aid aerodynamics.

Compared to the Austral and Espace, the Rafale’s exterior differences go further as it receives a restyled grille, single piece LED headlights with separate LED fog lamps in the (likely unintentional) shape of a Concord on the flanks of the front bumper, a new lower air intake and model specific 20-inch alloy wheels.

Besides the rear facia being new, Renault has made the Rafale available in four colours only; Ceramic Grey, Diamond Black, Flame Red and the depicted Alpine Blue said to be more “intense” than the shade the Alpine A110 can be decked-out in.

Inside

Inside, the Rafale is largely unchanged from the Austral and seven-seat Espace as it features not only the same steering wheel and centre console, but also the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and the 12-inch Open R Link infotainment system angled towards the driver.

Also standard is the 9.3-inch Head-Up Display, ambient lighting and in the case of the flagship Esprit Alpine, sport seats trimmed in Alcantara with illuminated A seatbacks, plus triple stitching in the form of the French tri-colour.

A new addition though is the panoramic sunroof made by French firm Solarbay that uses Polymer Dispersed Liquid Cristal technology to either darkened roof entirely, have only the front section of the cabin lit, allow light inside throughout or have the front darkened and the rear “illuminated”.

According to Renault, the roof actually improves headroom by 30 mm, thus offsetting the Rafale’s lowered roof and inherent less practical cabin than that of the Espace and Austral. Claimed boot space with the rear seats up is 647-litres.

Hybrid only

Up front, the Rafale follows the same powertrain route as the Espace by initially offering a single unit only; a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine combined with a two-kWh lithium-ion battery pack driving a pair of electric motors.

A traditional hybrid rather than a plug-in hybrid as per the E-Tech moniker, the result is a combined power output of 147 kW delivered to all four wheels through the column-shift mounted four-speed multi-model clutchless transmission that becomes a six-speed when the mentioned electric motor’s reverse speeds are included.

Renault has, however, confirmed that a second engine option will be introduced next year in the form of a plug-in hybrid expected to deliver 300 pferdestarke (PS) or 221 kW.

Not yet South Africa approved

Set to go on-sale in Europe from early 2024, the Rafale, for now, has not been confirmed for South African market introduction.

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