This is the brand new Peugeot Ra… Sorry… Renault Rafale!
The Renault Rafale introduces a new design language, as we can read in the attached press release. Does that mean all future Renaults will look like Peugeots, like two drops of water?
When we received the first pictures of the Renault Rafale in the mail, we immediately thought: it’s just like a Peugeot. And we can’t imagine we’re the only ones seeing it…
Renault Rafale based on Austral and Espace
The 4.71 meter long Rafale is a D-segment coupe SUV that will be at the top of Renault’s range. It shares its platform with the Austral and the recently launched Espace, with which it also shares a 2.74 meter wheelbase.
What is remarkable about the design of the Rafale are the clear Peugeot features. Wybers off, lions on and voilà… the model can be included in the competitor’s price list. In particular, the grille and the headlights with the vertical daytime running lights underneath make it look like a Peugeot.
At the rear, we recognize design cues from the 408: the shortened, slightly rearward-leaning rear end, the horizontal light clusters, the subtle lip on the trunk lid, and the spoiler over the rear window. However, the Renault Rafale is more of an SUV due to its greater ground clearance.
The name does not come from Dassault Rafale
The name Rafale also means “gust of wind”, but does not come from the Dassault Rafale, the current fighter aircraft of the French Air Force. Renault goes back to the Caudron C.460 Rafale from the 1930s, which won races with its Renault engine.
Well-known hybrid drive with 200 hp
This is of course not the case with the new Rafale. It features the same E-Tech hybrid powertrain as the Austral and Espace, mating a 1.2-litre three-cylinder with two electric motors and producing 200bhp. Above that there will be a plug-in version with 300 hp and all-wheel drive.
Renault Austral and Espace dashboard
We don’t see any surprises inside. The dashboard is the same as the Austral and Espace, with specific Rafale additions such as an illuminated Alpine logo in the Esprit Alpine version’s sports seats and the use of slate or cork as decorative material on the dashboard.
There is space for 647 liters of luggage in the luggage compartment. And given the Renault Rafale’s sloping rear, that’s quite impressive. The model is not yet on the market this year. Renault will not present its coupe SUV until spring 2024.