Renault Rafale: a very ambitious SUV coupe! All photos and information

Renault presented its future SUV coupe Sunday at the Paris Air Show. The Rafale, the next high-end model from the diamond brand, has many advantages to establish itself on the market. very competitive segment D. Here is all the information you need to know. know.

History will record that it was on June 18, 2023, as part of the Paris Air Show, that the Rafale responded to the challenge for the first time. the call. The wink of the surname is obvious to all. aeronautics but do you know that before the well-known fighter plane, the Rafale was above all a plane signed by the Rafale? Renault released during the 1930s? No question of a plane this time, Renault presented its future SUV coupe high-end expected on French roads from the second quarter of 2024.

After the Austral (2022) and Espace (2023) models, presented in recent months, it is the Rafale which has been unveiled. in front of the specialized press. Developed since the fall of 2020, the Rafale will have been entirely designed under the direction of designer Gilles Vidal, defector from Peugeot during the summer. of the same year. And it is precisely against the Peugeot 408, among others, that the new flagship of the Renault brand will have to establish itself on the market. increasingly competitive with SUVs. Let's go his discovery.
 

Photos of the Renault Rafale

There is no point looking for similarities between the Rafale and its predecessors, the Austral and the Espace. Although it is also produced in the Palencia factory in Spain, the latest addition SUVs from the French brand display a new identity. visual, more modern. With its very flat hood, its protruding edges, its very elaborate diamond grille (in different sizes!) and its tapered rectangular headlights – without forgetting the boomerang-shaped LED lights integrated into the shield already available seen on the restyled Clio V -, the Rafale offers, by far, the most aggressive face of the Renault SUVs. Its front is also reminiscent of that of the Peugeot 3008 designed in 2008. by a certain…Gilles Vidal.

At the back, at the back, also the features are marked. Like everything suddenly Self-respecting, the stern is very vertical with a widely inclined rear window (at 17 degrees), which allowed the manufacturer to save money. Rear window wiper. The spoiler, in the extension of the roof, and the small fin, at the end of the stern, provide a side of the look. aerodynamic design this SUV certainly has a very sporty look. As on the front, the rear lights are very tapered and give the Rafale a sharp look. Finally, the name Rafale appears in the center of the tailgate in small letters and in a rather harmonious calligraphy.

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20 centimeters larger than the Austral, the Rafale measures 4m71 in length, just one centimeter less than the new Renault Espace. Wider (1m86) but lower (1m61) than its two "brothers", the future high-end SUV from the diamond brand confirms its pure line when viewed in profile. The manufacturer indicates that the Rafale tires will be a little wider on the Rafale, which will be fitted with large 20-inch rims on the Esprit Alpine finish, one of the two offered with the Techno finish at the start of marketing.

It's difficult to present the Renault Rafale without talking about its large panoramic roof. As on the Espace, the surface of the window on the future SUV measures no less than 1m2 but benefits from a new feature: signed Saint-Gobain. The manufacturer's technology, leader in its field, has been called SolarBay and makes it possible to opacify all or part of the surface of the window made up of liquid crystals and composed of nine segments. By activating a small button, or by simple voice command, the Renault Rafale user will be able to choose how to block out the outside light.

Unlike Outside, the interior of the vehicle has many similarities with those of the Austral and the new Espace, particularly in terms of the layout of the furniture. Among the new features, we will also note the new graphic design of Renault's OpenR Link multimedia system, the steering wheel. the shape is a little more square, or the sporty seats with lateral reinforcements. And to give even more character to; For its top-of-the-range model, the French manufacturer used a new materials, such as black cork on the dashboard and the sliding handle on the central console for the Techno finish and natural slate for the Esprit Alpine finish.

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The engines of the Renault Rafale

No big surprises regarding the engine of the Techno and Esprit Alpine versions with some deja vu at Renault, particularly on the Austral. The two models offered at the launch of the SUV at the start of next year will in fact be equipped with the 200 hp E-Tech hybrid engine. But the manufacturer assures that a new plug-in hybrid engine (PHEV) will complete the offer in the second half of the year. of the year, with the combination of the 3-cylinder 1.2 TCE and an electric motor installed à the rear of the vehicle which will allow the SUV coupe to move forward. to reach a power of 300 hp with all-wheel drive!

When will the Renault Rafale be released?

Present in June 2023, the newborn from Renault will take a little while. We will have to wait at least nine months to see it take over the roads of France. It is in fact in spring 2024 that the high-end SUV from the diamond brand will be delivered. at dealerships.

What will the price of the Renault Rafale be?

Designed in two finishes initially, Techno and Esprit Alpine, the Renault Rafale should cost at minimum 50,000 euros at entry level, while a third finish, equipped with the 300 hp hybrid engine, will see the light of day a few months later. At a price that is certainly much higher than that. (60,000 euros?).