With lots of room and extensive level of spec and tech, this SUV-coupe earns its high price tag The Renault Rafale is nearly five metres long with an acute coupe slope that doesn't hinder head room. I have recently been driving a Renault that costs €60,000 and I asked myself: who is going to buy it? The Rafale is a big SUV-coupe full hybrid with a distinctive profile and a rich cargo of tech and spec. The strange thing about it – well maybe not so strange, as we’ll see – is Renault wants it to tempt buyers of premium cars in this unevenly matched world of brands and badges.
Whatever about wooing such buyers, the Rafale certainly highlights how much our tastes are changing (or being whetted). We want more luxury and spec and we want it wrapped in ever-more extreme shapes and sizes. These SUV-coupes are very much the “in thing” now.
And they are empowering the phenomenon of crossover models from mainstream brands such as Renault to test the market for ways of getting a toe-hold on the premium ladder. Broadly speaking, there are those who aspire to owning a big fashionable car for around the €51,000 mark at which the Rafale starts. There are those who look upwards to see what a €60,000 Renault could do for them over and above what they have.
And there are those who look down from the lofty perches of prestige-badged cars to see how much they might save if they parted ways with their Audi or BMW for a roomier motor. Renault, with the €51,000 Rafale, is well covered as far as volume sales are concerned. It is not madly expensive for what it offers.
No, the real challenges lie in how many people are likely to go for the €60,000 option – either from their current mainstream model or the owners of posh cars having a think about switching. Not too many of the latter, I’d say. But Renault would disagree.
Strongly. It points to how it has packed the car with spec and tech, while nailing build quality and prime materials in luxury cabins. That largely explains the hefty price tag of €60,000 in the case of the hybrid esprit Alpine+ model tested.
How can Renault even think of pushing the Rafale range-topper upstream against the likes of the admittedly less-roomy and more expensive Audi Q3s and BMW X2s? For a start, many “buyers” have personal contract plans at their disposal and that permits the transformation of the luxury pieces of kit into affordable monthly repayments. I blame PCPs for helping to loosen the purse strings and change outlooks whereby an “extra” or “package” previously discounted for being too costly, now breaks down into a few euro more each month. Meanwhile, demand for SUV/crossovers/coupes of all shapes and sizes continues unabated.
In part because they represent a more individual sort of purchase. Which one would you honestly choose now: saloon or SUV-coupe? What are Renault’s chances? Let’s see. The Rafale is big, and stoutly defined to look at in Alpine Blue with diamond black roof, a front grille with satin shale-grey background and a coupe slope as acute as nearly anything on the market.
Strangely enough, that didn’t translate into complaints from the back seat about having to stoop lower or endure the confines of blighted headroom. The cabin really is something. Roomy is an understatement; I could nearly fully stretch my legs in the rear while I rested my elbow on the cleverest rear arm-rest you’ll find.
It accommodates USB-C phone-charge connections, cupholders, storage space, tablet support brackets and more. Ingenious. Boot space was a decent 535 litres with an adjustable panel adding a few litres more.
With the back seats folded, you get more than 1,700 litres. The usual set-up of infotainment screens and digital instrument cluster worked well. Just below the central touchscreen are buttons for the heater controls – well done, Renault.
This hybrid Rafale is driven by a 1.2-litre turbo petrol, 3cyl with two electric motors. The result is a potential 200hp.
It wasn’t nearly that quick and was slow on kickdown. It certainly didn’t feel 200hp potential, but at 4.7-litres of petrol every 100km, it was certainly economical.
I have a major crib with the use of column-mounted gear stalks on an already overcrowded space and I was never 100pc sure I was getting the one I wanted. I’ve left the best for last. My version had a premium-car busting array of equipment and adornments.
Briefly, here is a sample list to complement the factfile details: Harman-Kardon 12-speaker system, advanced driver-assistance systems, slate-finish dashboard, recycled Alcantara upholstery, panoramic sunroof, hands-free parking, 360-degree around view 3D camera and four-wheel steering. On that stash of spec alone, Renault can claim the right to put it up to the prestige marques. Whether or not they’ll pay heed to it is another thing.
Renault Rafale hybrid SUV-coupe Trim: Esprit Alpine+, E-Tech hybrid 200 auto, 200hp full hybrid 1.2-litre turbo petrol. Claimed consumption: 4.
7litres/100km. Road tax €180. From: €51,495.
Car tested: €60,420. Key specs: Adaptive vision LED headlights, 20ins alloys, wireless charger, multi-sense, OpenR link, connected multimedia system with Google built-in. Google Play, smartphone mirroring (wireless) compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
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