PARIS -- Renault’s new flagship model will be the Rafale, a midsize coupe-style SUV with a hybrid drivetrain that produces up to 300 hp with all-wheel drive.
The Rafale, which was revealed Sunday at the Paris air show north of the city, takes its name from a record-breaking 1930’s airplane built by the aviation company Caudron-Renault. It replaces the Talisman midsize sedan and station wagon as Renault’s top-of-the range car.
It is the third new model from Renault on the CMF-C/D platform in the past year, starting with the Austral compact SUV and also including the seven-seat Espace midsize SUV.
The Rafale rides on the same wheelbase as the Espace, giving it exceptional interior room, especially for rear-seat passengers, Renault says. Even though it is a coupe, the Rafale’s rear seat headroom is nearly the same as the boxier Espace’s because of the long wheelbase, Renault says. The Rafale, at 4710 mm long, is marginally shorter than the Espace, at 4722 mm.
However, the Rafale’s track is 40 mm wider than the Espace to enhance its sportier characteristics.
Renault says the Rafale is the first car to use the visual language of design chief Gilles Vidal, former head of Peugeot design. Its raised fastback body has sharper creases than the Espace or Austral, and broad "shoulders" suggest power, Renault says.
"The Rafale has 75 percent of carry over parts from the Austral and Espace," Le Borgne told Automotive News Europe.
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The windshield and the front door structure is the same as on the Austral, but the door sheet metal is specific. The rear door structure is from the Espace, but again with a specific skin, Le Borgne said.
Renault brand CEO Fabrice Cambolive said new models such as the Arkana, Megane E-tech, Austral and Espace had helped Renault to return to being the No.2 brand by sales in Europe. "The Rafale is the new squadron leader for Renault," he said.
Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo said that the automaker has not been successful in the past with its flagship models, but the Rafale "is in the right segment with a powertrain tuned with todays' needs."
"Renault is back in the game at the heart of the global market," he said.
The Rafale will arrive in dealerships next spring. Like the Austral and Espace, it will be built in Palencia, Spain. Renault did not give pricing, but trim levels will include a top-range Esprit Alpine.
The Rafale’s drivetrain features the most powerful version of Renault’s E-Tech hybrid system. The base front-wheel drive model produces 200 hp from a 1.2 liter three-cylinder gasoline engine with 130 hp combined with 50 kilowatt electric drive motor and a smaller 25 kw starter/generator. Both electric motors are attached to the clutchless gearbox.
That drivetrain, which is a full hybrid, is also available in the Austral and Espace. Because it uses a small gasoline engine and large (2 kilowatt-hour) battery, CO2 emissions are very low, at 105 grams of CO2 per km. Renault says fuel consumption is 4.7 liters per 100 km.
Debuting on the Rafale is an all-wheel-drive 300 hp version – the most-powerful E-Tech hybrid offering -- which adds another motor to the rear axle. It will be a plug-in hybrid rather than a conventional hybrid. Renault says that it is “in the pipeline” but did not give a date for its launch.
Both models will have the latest version of Renault’s 4Control four-wheel steering system, which turns the rear wheels in the same direction as the front at low speeds to aid manoeuvrability, and the opposite direction at high speeds to aid stability. Turning radius is 10.4 meters, the same as a small car, Renault says.
In designating the Rafale as its flagship, Renault is focusing on amenities for passengers as well as the driver. A new panoramic glass roof is 1.5 meters long by 1.2 meters wide and can darken to provide sun protection in seconds, Renault says. Its four settings – including the ability to darken only part of it -- can be voice-controlled by Google Assistant. The glass roof also adds 30 mm of headroom for rear seat passengers.
Front seats are upholstered in 61 percent recycled Alcantara, a market first, Renault says. Pulsing lights are embedded in the headrest, with their color matching the ambient interior lighting.
The Rafale will be competing in the midsize SUV segment, which accounted for just 4.6 percent of the market in the first quarter, according to figures from Dataforce.
It was led by the Skoda Kodiaq, with 21,408 sales in the first quarter, according to Dataforce. Full-electric vehicles are rapidly gaining traction in the segment, with the Volkswagen ID4 in second place at 17,027 sales. Other EVs in the top 10 include the Skoda Enyaq iV, the Hyundai Ionic 5 and the Kia EV6.
Renault’s current midsize SUV, the Koleos, has struggled to make an impact since its launch in 2017. Renault sold just 1,040 examples in the first quarter. Production of the Talisman halted last year.
The Rafale and Espace will give Renault two entrants in the segment; the new-generation Nissan X-Trail also rides on the same platform.
Although the segment is small, compact and midsize SUVs have relatively high profit margins. Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo has focused on launching compact and midsize vehicles since he took over in July 2020, seeking to reduce Renault’s historic dependence of moving high volumes of less-profitable small cars.
