Renault set to head upmarket with new Rafale coupe-SUV
Upcoming model will act as Renault’s new flagship
Renault has teased a new coupe-SUV that is set to head up the brand’s range of cars.
Called the Rafale, it takes inspiration from the French firm’s history in aviation. Renault is one of the oldest car companies, being founded in 1898, and originally made engines for trains and buses too.
But in 1933, Renault took over the French aircraft company Caudron, with one of its most famous planes being a single-seater racing model that was engineered to break records. This was called the Rafale.
The upcoming coupe-SUV has been teased in a single disguised image, showing the model’s sleek look, elongated shape and bold LED lighting at both the front and rear.
We don’t know too much about the new car yet, but the Rafale will be built on Renault’s CMF-CD platform, and essentially serve as the coupe version of the firm’s new Austral SUV – a rival to the Nissan Qashqai.
Like the Austral, it’s set to be available purely with an E-Tech hybrid powertrain, and likely the same 200bhp 1.2-litre petrol-electric setup that you get in the Austral.
In recent years Renault has slimmed its line-up to focus on more mainstream models, such as its Clio supermini and Captur crossover. While it already offers the Arkana as a coupe-styled SUV, the Rafale will arrive as a roomier and more premium product.
Fitting in with the aviation theme, the Renault Rafale will be revealed at the Paris Air Show on June 18.
