Since the campaign to reconquer the C-segment – one of the main goals in the Renaulution strategic plan – is well under way with the Megane E-Tech 100% electric, Arkana E-Tech full hybrid and Austral E-Tech full hybrid success stories, it’s time for Renault to make its next move on the D-segment with a completely new and daring model: the all new Renault Rafale.
Now that Renault has revamped its arsenal of technology for hybrid powertrains, chassis’, and electronic equipment, it was time to use that engineering knowledge to create a new vehicle born and bred for driving pleasure and launch its new flagship: the all new Renault Rafale.
Its slightly raised fastback-style body ranks the all new Renault Rafale in the coupe SUV category.
The vehicle’s silhouette is vibrant and sporty. Its long horizontal bonnet points to power. The bow beneath it is chiselled and features the new radiator grille and signature light pattern that Renault introduced on New Clio E-Tech full hybrid. The protruding bonnet and sculpted front bumper seem to impel the car forwards.
The muscular shoulders carry presence around the rear wheels, hinting at the power propelling the car. The skid plate emerging from under the rear bumper also shows the car’s presence while the sloping roofline with one last jut points to speed.
The all new Renault Rafale is 4.71 metres long and 1.86 metres wide, squarely placing it in the D-segment. Added to which, it’s 1.61 metres high, making it a quintessential sporty SUV.
The car has a long wheelbase at 2.74 metres, while the roofline is flawlessly curved to provide plenty of headroom in the back seats and doesn’t impinge on the rear windscreen.
The rear windscreen tilts 17 degrees, which is exactly right for aerodynamic efficiency. And it renders rear wipers unnecessary, which keeps the car’s lines pure.
Meanwhile, its wider wheel track solidly grounds the vehicle and makes the most of the black parts of the wheels both from a vertical perspective (the wheels crop out slightly) and from a horizontal perspective (the 20-inch wheels fill the wheel arches).
The all new Renault Rafale’s novel radiator grille is built around the brand’s hallmark diamond. It is made up of a constellation of small diamonds that arrange space in three dimensions around the emblem in the middle.
This diamond black coloured pattern is a nod to the all new Rafale’s premium credentials. It stands out against the iron blue or shadow grey hues (depending on the version) that appear and disappear in the background depending on where you look at it from – like works of optical art in the 1970s. This is Renault tipping its hat to Victor Vasarely, the Op Art movement’s high priest, and to a surname that has left its mark in Renault’s history: Victor’s son Yvaral Vasarely designed the 1972 logo – to which the brand pays a “moving” tribute with its new Nouvel’R logo.
The all new Renault Rafale will be available in five body colours including two previously unreleased ones: a new satin White Pearl and a new Alpine Blue tone.
The all new Renault Rafale 200 hp E-Tech full hybrid will reach markets in spring 2024.
