First drive: The Rafale E-Tech completes the Renault SUV line-up in Europe, but is it any good?
Renault has high hopes that its coupe-styled hybrid SUV will steal sales away from the BMW X4. Cameron Richards went to Spain to find out.
What is it?
The Rafale is the car that will complete the Renault SUV line-up here in the UK, sitting above the Scenic E-Tech, Arkana and Austral as the flagship SUV in the range and going up against competition from BMW, Audi and Hyundai.
Renault is focusing a lot on its future electrification plans and badges its hybrid and electric vehicles with the E-Tech name. However, the Rafale will be sold on our shores only as a hybrid.
What’s new?
The Rafale name is a new addition to the Renault family and is the French word for ‘wind’, relating to the company’s part in aviation with the Caudron-Renault Rafale that flew at 277mph in 1934.
While that plane may be relatively old today, the Rafale’s design is brand-new with a bold-looking interior matching a new exterior design language which ties it in with some of this French firm’s other cars while still establishing itself as a model in its own right.
What’s under the bonnet?
From launch, there will be one powertrain on offer, and that is a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 128bhp and 205Nm of torque. From there, it’s hooked up to a pair of electric motors and, in total, the Rafale kicks out 197bhp.It has a top speed of 111mph and can do 0-60mph in 8.7 seconds, while a claimed 60.1mpg and CO2 emissions as low as 105g/km mean that the Rafale is remarkably clean-running for a car of this size.
All Rafale models come with multi-link rear suspension and a four-wheel-drive system as standard, while later down the line a 304bhp performance version to fit into the range.
