There's a lot going on over at Renault at the moment. The brand is continuing its assault on a very busy SUV market with the roll out of several new models.
Joining the squadron is Renault's new flagship model, the Rafale, which draws its inspiration from the world of aviation and is the brand's first car designed completely under the design direction of Gilles Vidal (ex Citroen and Peugeot ).
This coupé SUV takes its name from the historic Renault Caudron-Rafale aircraft, which set an international class speed record in 1934 when it clocked a speed of 445 km/h. According to Renault, this two-seat aircraft had all the genetic traits of its new namesake car, with technologies and a vision that all stem from the brand's aviation history.
Priced in Ireland from €51,495, the new Rafale is built on the Renault-Nissan CMF-CD platform and shares around three quarters of its parts with Renault's Austral and Espace models. Assembled in Palencia in Spain, the Rafale is powered by a 200 hp E-Tech full hybrid 1.2-litre petrol turbo engine, and comes with generous proportions and luxurious interior and equipment.
Onboard technologies include OpenR Link multimedia with Google built-in, Solarbay opacifying sunroof, an ingenious rear armrest and Four Control Advanced four-wheel steering system.
The attractive Renault Rafale is 4.71 metres long and 1.86 metres wide, placing it squarely in the D-segment. Standing 1.61 metres tall, it is every inch a sporty SUV. The long wheelbase allows for a profiled, flowing roofline, gently curved to maintain excellent headroom at the rear.
Inspired by Renault’s brand image, the radiator grille of the Rafale is made up of small diamonds arranged in a 3D design around the central logo. The background of blue or slate grey (depending on the version ) seems to appear and disappear depending on the angle you're stood. This diamond theme is carried over to the light signature, where Matrix LED headlights give the vehicle a strong visual presence.
Their shape is inspired by Chinese tangram puzzles, in which a square is divided into seven pieces. When switched on, they are brought to life by micro-optical technology. When switched off, they resemble ‘floating ice cubes’.
A party trick of the Rafale is its clever Solarbay, an opacifying glass roof designed to look after all passengers. This features AmpliSky technology in which the molecular structure of polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs ) reacts to an electric current. In English, this basically means the nine segments of the glazed roof can be darkened or brightened on demand (buttons or voice control ). Think of it as a digital rollerblind.
There are three trim levels available in Ireland for the Rafale: ‘techno’, ‘espirit Alpine’ and ‘esprit Alpine+’. My test car was the latter, which, including its Shadow Grey metallic paint, comes in at €60,420 (€58,695 without ).
Most would perceive this to be an eye-watering price tag for a Renault, but the Rafale is far more Top Gun than kamikaze, and would be a worthy flagship model for most brands. I say this on the back of it boasting a 627-litre boot, fuel consumption of around 4.7-litres/100km, a premium yet sustainable Alcantara interior, and 32 advanced driver-assistance systems. Not to mention the superb ride quality atop the 20-inch black diamond-cut wheels.
Très bien, Renault.
