Renault Rafale
Hybrid-powered coupé SUV has its sights set on premium rivals, and is priced accordingly On sale Now Price from £42,195
Dan Jones dan.jones@haymarket.com
CARS DRAWING INSPIRATION from aircraft are nothing new, but the Renault Rafale has closer ties than many. It’s named after the Caudron-Renault Rafale, a 1934 racing plane that resulted from company founder Louis Renault’s fascination with aviation and speed. But will this new coupé SUV fly out of the showrooms or struggle on a wing and a prayer?
The Rafale takes on such disparate rivals as the Peugeot 408 and premium BMW X2. Its sleek lines disguise underpinnings that are shared with Renault’s Austral family SUV, including a 197bhp E-Tech hybrid power set-up that combines a 1.2-litre petrol engine with two electric motors and a 2kWh battery. That takes the Rafale from 0-62mph in 8.9sec – half a second slower than the boxier Austral.