With the French, things are happening in quick succession: The new Renault Espace isn’t even at the dealer’s yet, when the brand is already presenting a coupé offshoot with the Rafale. The mid-size SUV is celebrating its world premiere at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget and is scheduled to hit the market next spring.
Renault is presenting its new top model early, very early, because the market launch is not planned for April 2024. The Rafale name comes from the company’s aviation history. Renault took over the manufacturer Caudron in 1933. The aircraft carried the names of well-known winds as type designations, including a single-seat fighter jet called the Rafale. That’s why the world premiere of the new vehicle took place at the famous Paris Air Show in Le Bourget. A fighter jet on wheels! Will this choice of name really convince potential customers? Sporty and elegant At least the first tour of the Frenchman is convincing. It is flat and wide, which is not least due to the Rafale’s roof line, which slopes sharply backwards. The brand’s future top model is 4.71 meters long and 1.86 meters wide, but only 1.61 meters high. At the front end, the slender headlights reach far into the fenders, while the vertical daytime running lights and the shiny black radiator grille with its many small Renault rhombuses ensure independence. In the Esprit Alpine equipment line shown, the grille has a blue body color background, which creates a three-dimensional effect on closer inspection. 20-inch wheels – optionally up to 22 inches – round off the powerful appearance. On the other hand, the Rafale shows little of its own in the interior. It uses the same cockpit as the compact Austral and the forthcoming Espace, but the materials used prove to be high-quality and sustainable. The Alcantara-covered sports seats in the Esprit Alpine version are made from 60 percent recycled material and have an illuminated Alpine logo on their backrests. Real slate decor on the passenger side of the cockpit and on the sliding hand rest on the center console make a classy impression. The Techno entry-level model, on the other hand, will have black cork decor. The space available is extremely lavish, especially in the rear. With more than 30 centimeters there is plenty of knee room for the passengers and even for tall people there is still plenty of air above the crown. This is notable given that the Rafale’s roofline is fairly flat. The same applies to the luggage compartment, which has a capacity of 530 liters. Innovative glass roof The French are extremely proud of their new panoramic glass roof, which cannot be opened but thanks to liquid crystal technology automatically darkens seven segments. This meant that a conventional roller blind could be dispensed with. Alternatively, the frosted glass-like darkening ceremony can also be activated by voice control Google Assistant or simply by pressing a button next to the ceiling light. The Open R Link multimedia system, which receives updates over the air, also works with Google. In addition, navigation is also carried out with Google Maps, while up to 50 apps can be downloaded from the in-house store to provide helpful support for the driver. When it comes to safety, up to 32 driver assistants are available – some optional, some standard. And depending on the equipment level, all-wheel steering is on board. At the start of sales, the Rafale will initially only be available as a full hybrid. The makes 199 hp and consists of a three-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 1.2 liters and two electric motors. With this drive, the Rafale should be able to drive up to 80 percent purely electrically in the city. Six months later, a newly developed plug-in hybrid will follow, which will only be available with all-wheel drive and will have a system output of 300 hp. (cen/gb)
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