Renault has revealed the Rafale SUV-Coupe at the ongoing Paris Air Show. It is the new flagship of the French car manufacturer and is set to be launched later this year. It is based on the same platform as the Renault Austral & Espace and features a hybrid powertrain. At launch, it will come with a front-wheel-drive setup, and a 4WD version is expected to launch at a later stage.
The Renault Rafale is named after an aircraft, but it isn’t the Dassault Rafale. In 1934, a race aircraft was named the Caudron C530 Rafale and the Renault Rafale derives its name from that aircraft. Here’s all you need to know about the Renault Rafale.
Attractive Design & Styling
The Rafale is the first production car to embrace Renault’s new design language. It is a thoroughly modern design with lots of curves and barely any flat surfaces. The grille looks fantastic in Black with the textured design. The Renault logo has been redesigned and is no longer a 3D logo. It is a modern take on the traditional diamond logo.
It is a lengthy SUV-Coupe measuring in at around 4.7-metres and this length is very much visible when the Rafale is viewed from the side. The sloping roofline and the elaborate 20-inch wheels grab one’s attention immediately.
Spacious & Feature-Packed Interior
Despite the length, the Rafale loses out on practicality because of the sloping roofline. As a result, it seats only five in comfort and has a boot space of 530-litres. The panoramic glass roof can go from being fully opaque to fully transparent at the flick of a switch.
Instrumentation is handled by a 12.3-inch TFT screen while infotainment is taken care of by a 12-inch vertical screen. The Android Automotive 12 OS screen comes with Android Auto & Apple CarPlay. It even has a head-up display.
Hybrid Powertrain
Though Renault has designed the Rafale to feature multiple drivetrains, it won’t be available with all of them at launch. It will initially feature a front-wheel-drive layout with a clutchless system. There is a 1.2-litre Atkinson-cycle three-cylinder petrol engine mated to an electric motor. The engine produces 127hp while the electric motor produces 66hp, leading to a combined output of 194hp.
There is an additional motor that takes up the role of a starter-generator. At a later stage, Renault will launch a 4WD version of the Rafale with a more potent 290hp engine and motor combination. This will be a plug-in hybrid with an electric-only range of around 48-64 kilometres.
Renault Rafale UAE Launch & Pricing
In the UAE, the Koleos is the current Renault flagship. However, the Rafale will take over once launched. Prices for the Rafale haven’t been revealed yet. However, unsurprisingly, it will surpass all other Renault vehicles in terms of the sticker price.
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