Renault has unveiled its new flagship, the Rafale, a coupe-style SUV built on the CMF-CD platform developed by the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance for its compact and mid-size models. This car, which will be manufactured in 2024 at the group’s Spanish plant in Palencia, is the first production vehicle conceived entirely under the direction of the head of Renault Design, Gilles Vidal.
Thus, the front exhibits features similar to those of the renewed Clio. The grille, different from the one mounted on the Austral or the Espace, has a pattern made up of a multitude of small diamonds that organize the space in three dimensions around the central emblem.
Following the updated Clio, the Rafale is the second car in the range to feature the brand’s new light signature. The two taillights have been widely separated to give the car a more rounded look. In profile, the car features a long, flat bonnet, while the roof slopes towards the rear creating a fastback-like silhouette.
On a dimensional level, the car measures the same length as the Espace, that is, 471 centimeters in length; the width reaches 186 cm (2 more) and the height remains at 161 cm (3 less). The trunk has a load capacity of 530 litres, which can be expanded if the backrest of the rear bench is folded down.
The cabin can accommodate up to five people, without the drop in the roof at the rear representing a problem for tall travelers. The great novelty is above the heads. This is the enormous Solarbay liquid panoramic glass (1,470 x 1,117 mm), whose active sheets allow the glass to be darkened or lightened along nine independent segments. This roof can be controlled with your voice via Google Assistant or via a button.
The dashboard design is very similar to that of the Espace or Austral, with a double screen that combines the digital instrument panel and the OpenR Link multimedia system center to jointly form an inverted “L”. Optionally, you can have a 9.3-inch head up display that projects the most relevant driving information.
At a mechanical level, the range will be made up of two hybrid versions, although at the time of its launch only one of them can be chosen. We are referring to the well-known 200 hp E-Tech Full Hybrid with a multi-mode automatic transmission (it has up to 15 different relationships) and front-wheel drive. Subsequently, the 4×4 plug-in hybrid variant will arrive with a power of 300 CV.
The available equipment includes a generous endowment in terms of safety with up to 32 driving assistance systems (ADAS). Likewise, the vehicle will use artificial intelligence to, for example, advise that the air conditioning be turned off if the window is open, the system works based on the processes that are recorded and analyzed during the trip.
