Read Caroline’s Renault Rafale review for everything you need to know about buying Renault’s new SUV coupe in Ireland.
The Rafale is a brand new model for the French car brand and a new flagship, slotting into the range above the Renault Austral.
It comes with a hybrid engine and 200hp for plenty of poke in the fashionable shape of an SUV coupé.
Let’s take a closer look!
Design
The new Renault Rafale is longer, wider and lower than the Austral and is further differentiated by its sloping coupé-style roofline. It has great presence with sharp styling and beautiful design details. The grille has a delicate diamond pattern with blue background on Esprit Alpine models, framed by LED headlights. Large wheels (20-inch diamond cut alloys) come as standard, though the design differs depending on trim level.
Renault already has an SUV coupe in its range in the shape of the compact Arkana, but the Rafale is a different beast altogether. It’s larger and looks a lot more upmarket overall. SUV coupes are common among premium brands like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The Rafale certainly offers something different to buyers of large SUVs looking for something a little more stylish and exclusive.
Interior
Renault has been moving upmarket with its latest generation models like the Megane, Scenic and Austral. The Rafale’s cabin is quite similar to the Austral but feels even more sporty and luxurious. There’s gorgeous ambient lighting and plush suede material with contrast stitching in the dashboard and doors. Esprit Alpine models feel even more special with door bins lined with blue felt, Alcantara trimmed steering wheel and well-bolstered Alcantara sports seats with illuminated A logo. The front seats are also heated with power adjustment and a massage function.
There’s a full digital driver display, 12-inch touchscreen with Google built in and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, head-up display and wireless smartphone charger.
There are three trim levels in the Rafale range: Techno, Esprit Alpine and Esprit Alpine+, which adds top of the line features such as handsfree parking, Harmon Kardon stereo, 360 camera and a solarbay panoramic glass roof that can switch between transparent and opaque at the flick of a switch!
Practicality
The Rafale is very spacious inside and gives Renault an SUV option in the large D segment part of the market again where the Koleos use to occupy before it was discontinued. There’s loads of legroom in the back of the Rafale thanks to the long wheelbase. The gently curved roofline helps to maintain headroom in the rear for adult passengers. There are two USB-C ports, pockets in the back of the front seats and generous door bins. The pièce de résistance is the centre piece, which can be used as an armrest or opened up to reveal more USB-C ports, cupholders and a device holder.
Renault Rafale boot
There’s a huge boot of 532 litres, which is even bigger than the Austral’s. There’s also a small bit of underfloor storage. Esprit Alpine models come with a powered tailgate as standard. The rear seats can also split fold 40:20:40.
Driving
The Rafale is built on the same platform as the Austral but has a wider track to give it a sportier and more planted feel on the road. It uses the same 1.2-litre petrol-electric hybrid powertrain with a three cylinder engine at its heart, two electric motors and a multimode automatic gearbox. There’s a healthy 200hp sent to the front wheels and 0-100km/h is 8.9 seconds. It feels very lively and responsive to drive. It’s frugal too, returning 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres over my week long test drive.
Multisense drive modes are included that alter the steering effort, chassis agility and engine response. There are also paddles behind the steering wheel to adjust the strength of regenerative braking.
Renault has put a big emphasis on how the Rafale drives and it shows. The handling is very good for a large SUV and the Rafale feels tight and sporty on the turn in to a corner. Esprit Alpine models come as standard with four wheel steering, which gives the car an overall dexterity at both low and high speeds.
Comfort and refinement levels are less impressive. The Rafale feels quite firmly sprung for Irish roads and the ride quality is far from pillowy soft. It can also get noisy in the cabin, particularly with road noise when driving over coarser tarmac.
Renault Rafale Price
The Rafale is available from €51,495 for the Techno, from €55,695 for the Esprit Alpine and from €58,695 for the Esprit Alpine+.
Verdict
A 4×4 plug-in hybrid with 300hp is on the way but the Rafale E-Tech Hybrid does seem well-suited to the Irish market on the balance between price, power and economy. Renault has a great history in making SUVs and has sold plenty of them over the years in Ireland including the Captur, Arkana, Kadjar and Koleos. The Rafale is part of a new breed of Renault even more stylish and upmarket than before – but all that does come at a price. While comfort and refinement levels are far from premium, the Rafale impresses in other areas like the cabin design, equipment, space, handling, fuel economy and style. And for many buyers, that will just be enough. C’est tout.
Pros: Spacious, efficient, eye-catching design.
Cons: Firm ride, expensive.
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Written by Caroline Kidd
Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Juror for Irish Car of the Year
The post Renault Rafale E-Tech Hybrid Review appeared first on Changing Lanes.