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Is the new most expensive Renault at its best with a more sporting plug-in hybrid powertrain?

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As Renault continues relentlessly to fire new cars into the market, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to remember which of its models does what, how much it costs and what it goes up against - particularly as the vast majority are SUV-shaped.

That’s especially true of the Renault Rafale, a flagship coupé-crossover that replaces no previous Renault model and doesn’t quite line up directly against anything else on sale right now, in terms of shape, size and price.

Renault has big plans for this new-age Safrane (is that too tenuous?) to butt heads with the closest BMW and Audi equivalents and has priced it to give it a fighting chance of doing so. But having long been without real representation north of £40,000, it remains to be seen whether the French firm can truly capture the imagination of the mile-munching, school-running fleet buyer. 

The Rafale is, in case you’ve (understandably) lost count, Renault’s seventh SUV, effectively slotting into the Rizla-thin gap between the technically related Austral and seven-seat Espace, with which it shares its fundamental chassis. While those SUVs, though, are practically minded family cars through and through, this one is aimed much more obviously at the executive market, with a more overt premium aura and more heavily accentuated dynamic credentials. 

Renault has lofty ambitions to upset the German stalwarts in this segment, with the likes of the Audi Q3 and BMW X2 mentioned as benchmarks, and bosses are confident that while the Rafale takes the brand into new price territory, there is substantial market demand for such a car. The D-segment market, they note, is the fastest-growing in Europe, and sportback SUVs in that sector are particularly in vogue. Conversations about re-entering this sphere with a lower-slung saloon, fastback or estate, we’re told, didn't last very long. 

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The Rafale launched with Renault’s unusual (and almost impenetrably complex) E-Tech Full Hybrid powertrain, combining a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a with a pair of electric motors – one to provide supplementary traction power and the other serving as an integrated starter-generator – for 197bhp and 0-62mph in 8.9sec. A small (2kWh) battery under the driver’s seat, meanwhile, allows for engine-off driving over short distances. 

In keeping with Renault’s commitment to offering as simple a line-up as possible, it comes in just three trims: Techno, Techno Esprit Alpine and Iconic. They're priced from £38,195, £42,195 and £44,695 respectively and available in a choice of five colours, with one set of wheels and one upholstery configuration. Standard kit is generous at all levels, but mixing and matching of options will not be tolerated. You want the 360deg camera? It’s Esprit Alpine trim or bust.

We’ve already tried the Rafale E-Tech and found it to be a commendably efficient and suitably appointed company car proposition, but its underpowered, slightly thrashy hybrid powertrain and ill-resolved ride can’t quite cash the cheques written by its rakish silhouette, plush cabin and premium billing. Now, though, there’s a plug-in hybrid that boosts power output by 50%, slashes the BIK tax rating to 8% and could dramatically decrease running costs if driven right. On paper, it’s the powertrain this car needed from the off.

With four-wheel-drive, 296bhp, a chassis fettled by Alpine and a 22kW battery for 62 miles of electric-only range, it will land in the UK in February as a rival to the likes of the Mazda CX-60 PHEV and DS 7 E-Tense 4x4.

Ordering one of these pricier variants is even simpler: The UK will take the Rafale 4x4 in just two trims, Techno Esprit Alpine at £46,695 and Atelier Alpine at £49,965, with a choice of six colours but no options beyond that.

DESIGN & STYLING

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The Rafale cuts an imposing and eye-catching figure on the road, insofar as a mass-market family SUV can ever really stand out. It's perhaps no surprise that the hand that sketched these creased, muscular lines was previously deployed to assist in the creation of the similarly conceived and equally remarkable Peugeot 408. If the coupé-SUV truly must exist as a concept, the Rafale proves that it can at least carry some visual allure.

Unlike Renault’s new electric cars, the Rafale eschews nostalgia-fuelled retro appeal for a cleaner-cut, more modernist look that brings it into line with the latest Megane and Scenic, although there is at least a small motif on the sunroof depicting the outline of the 1930s racing aeroplane from which it takes its name. A curious source of inspiration, perhaps, but a good embodiment of the value Renault places on heritage as it fights to carve out a distinct identity in the face of intense competition from new rivals in every segment. 

The Rafale is a deceptively large car, occupying only slightly less road than the Hyundai Santa Fe, and has one of the longest wheelbases in its segment, at 2740mm, bolstering its utility credentials and no doubt widening its target audience to encroach on the turf of some straighter-backed rivals. 

Renault worked closely with its sporting sibling brand on the tuning of the Rafale PHEV’s suspension, four-wheel steering system and electronic driver aids, hence the smattering of Alpine badges and the slightly more aggressive design treatment that comes with the top-link Atelier Alpine package. Clock the 21in sports wheels, black rear spoiler and bespoke satin blue paintwork - nice subtle touches that nod to this variant’s heightened performance potential without over-egging the pudding. 

The UK will also get a more sedate-looking Techno Esprit Alpine version that packs the same 296bhp drivetrain but goes without the top-rung car’s more advanced adaptive suspension set-up and sticky Continental Sport Contact tyres - for a £4000 saving. 

Aside from the addition of a charging port, some bespoke interior materials and a few PHEV-specific infotainment displays, there’s not much to obviously differentiate the range-topping Rafale from the full hybrid - because the 22kWh battery is under the floor, there’s no reduction in cabin space nor boot capacity, while the existing car’s low-slung, almost saloon-like driving position is happily retained.

INTERIOR

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The Rafale bears one of those paradoxical silhouettes that attempts to be both high-rise family hauler and rakish riviera cruiser. It mostly pulls it off to good effect. The rear seats are spacious in all dimensions (I was comfortable sitting behind a 6ft-tall driver) and the boot, while naturally incurred upon by the sloping tailgate, is flat-floored, square-sided and still usefully capacious, at 535 litres - a mere pint of milk less than in the Peugeot 408.

The most obvious trade-off for the Rafale’s slippery silhouette is rearward visibility, which takes a slight knock, but the reversing camera fills the blanks nicely, and the back seat remains a bright and airy place to be.  

The cabin successfully adds a touch of upmarket appeal to an environment that’s broadly familiar from Renault’s more affordable models, introducing a slick slate-effect dash-topper and lashings of Alcantara (60% recycled, natch) and leather. But it’s a fairly dark and drab affair, all told, cheapened by the liberal use of gloss black plastic and hardly enlivened by the subtle tricolore stitching on the door panels. 

Physical switchgear, comes in relative abundance, and is all of pleasing tactility and accessibility. The thick-rimmed steering wheel - gratuitously squared off though it is - hosts familiar audio and cruise control toggles and a panel on each side of satisfyingly responsive haptic buttons, which are all right about where you would expect them to be. 

Continuing a recent run of getting things right when it comes to ADAS and infotainment, Renault hasn't given the Rafale’s touchscreen too much to do. The climate control is adjusted easily using a row of toggle switches and there’s a button to the side of the steering wheel that activates your stored ADAS settings, doing away with the ever-distracting process of deactivating all the legally mandated ‘assistance’ features on the move. 

The screen itself is crisp of definition and its interfaces logically arranged, so it’s quick to get the hang of and easy to use on the move. It’s big, at 12.3in, but angled and positioned so as not to incur on your field of vision; and because it’s portrait-oriented, rather than landscape, you don’t have to stretch to reach over to the other side of the car at 70mph to change the radio channel. 

It forms part of a wraparound cockpit arrangement, together with a 12.3in digital driver's display and head-up projection that helps to create a cocooning and genuinely driver-focused environment.

That’s augmented by the bespoke seats, which have greater lateral support than those in the Austral to (ahem) bolster its sporting pretences and make the Rafale feel a touch more special than its school-running siblings.

The Rafale 4x4 is fundamentally identical to the entry-level car, and so the cabin is broadly unaltered, save for the addition of some illuminated Alpine badges and some sporty microfibre trimmings. 

You use the Multi-sense button on the steering wheel to flick between the drive modes, Comfort, Eco, Sport and Snow (new for the 4x4), each offering varying levels of deployable power depending on how many of the four motors they use, and with their own suspension settings.

Beyond that, there are extra displays in the gauge cluster and touchscreen to show real-time power flow and separate efficiency read-outs for the battery and engine, plus the requisite – and somewhat gratuitous – angry-red ambient lighting that comes with Sport mode. 

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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The Rafale E-Tech is not a fast car, no matter how much Eau d’Alpine it’s wearing. The hybrid set-up musters just 197bhp, which is no great shakes in the context of the 1.7 tonnes it's charged with propelling. The 0-62mph sprint, as a result, takes a pretty uncompetitive 8.9sec.

It would be quicker if both power sources worked together at all times. As it is, the Rafale launches with the engine off, meaning there’s just 67bhp from the electric motor to haul it off the mark - and you feel the deficit. 

When the petrol unit does wake up, it’s mostly as refined and perky as any other three-pot on the market, although the soundtrack is relatively characterless and it verges on thrashiness under full load. 

When the closely related Austral was launched last year, it was criticised for the languidity of its clutchless, unsynchronised gearbox, which has five ratios for the engine and two for the motor - with one shared between the two power sources at all times to give a total of 15 ratios. Software updates – also applied to the Austral – have gone some way to rectifying that, and the Rafale shifts much more intuitively, but there’s still a tangible pause between ratios and a little kick when the drive is reconnected, and it’s difficult to guess when it’s coming. 

It’s frustrating to be deprived of the ability to change gears yourself, too, in certain high-load situations, although the paddles behind the steering wheel give enough adjustment over the regen that you can use them in place of the brake pedal when coasting.

If you thought the E-Tech hybrid system was tricky to understand, you might struggle to fully appreciate the intricacies of the Rafale’s plug-in hybrid drivetrain - the only one currently available in a Renault and developed, strangely, exclusively for this car. 

But put simply, whereas in a ‘normal’ PHEV you might find a sole auxiliary motor integrated into the gearbox or powering one of the axles, the Rafale has three of the things dotted around its driveline: one with 67bhp on the front axle and a 34bhp starter-generator in the gearbox – carried over from the full hybrid – and a second traction motor at the rear with 99bhp. All up, the four power sources combine to give an appreciably meatier 296bhp - enough for a quick-but-not-blistering 0-62mph time of 6.4sec. 

There’s a link to be drawn here: Alpine’s first bespoke EV, the A390, will also be powered by a trio of motors, although the rationale behind that pertains more to the dynamic advantages of being able to vary the torque distribution from front to back and side to side – a key component of making a heavy car handle light a light one. The Rafale PHEV has less overtly sporting pretensions, but naturally the swap from front- to variable four-wheel drive will have a bearing on how it handles (which we will come onto later). 

For sure, the added grunt brings a tangible improvement in vivacity and zip, the extra shove from that rear motor helping to cement the 4x4’s sporting credentials in a straight line. It’s still not whip-crack rapid, naturally, but certainly warmed up to the extent that you can tear away from traffic lights and nip into fast-closing gaps that would be out of the reach of the standard car. It’s also a more competent cruiser as a result, needing less of a run up to attain motorway speeds, and still with enough poke in reserve once you get there to effortlessly dispatch overtakes.

In Comfort mode, where it will surely spend the majority of its time, the 4x4 will drive as far as possible on pure-EV power, which makes for quiet and composed running around town, and the addition of a second motor means it feels roughly comparable with some lower-powered pure-EVs. Our test car started with 63 miles of electric range and still had 10 left after a highly varied 60-mile test route, split roughly 50:50 between Comfort and Sport, so you could easily push that further with a light right foot. 

Sport mode uses both EV motors in tandem with the petrol engine to give the full 296bhp, which is where the Rafale is at its pokiest and most engaging. But the trade-off is a comparatively coarse and uninspiring soundtrack that reveals the limitations of a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine in this ostensibly sporting context. A bespoke turbocharger for the PHEV lifts output from 128bhp to 148bhp, which helps, but this is still a grumbly and strained motor when pushing on, even with the assistance of a pair of electric motors - exacerbated by Sport mode’s obvious preference for lower gearbox ratios under load. 

The drivetrain is broadly a refined one, though. Changes in power distribution between the engine and motors are seamless and intuitive, and the gearbox swaps ratios far less fussily than in earlier iterations of Renault’s E-Tech system. It can be confused at times: floor it out of a hairpin and there’s a half-second of inactivity before the computers agree on a gameplan and send the power where it’s supposed to go, but you’d be hard pressed to get frustrated at this in everyday driving scenarios. 

RIDE & HANDLING

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Renault took no small risk in naming its new SUV after a racing plane and loudly talking up its dynamic credentials in the run-up to its launch. "Now that Renault has revamped its arsenal of technology for hybrid powertrains, chassis, and electronic equipment," the firm said, "it could no longer deprive its customers of a vehicle born and bred for driving pleasure."

Hmm. Pinch of salt, perhaps. The Rafale is at least aided in this regard, though, by a 20mm wider track than the Austral and Espace, along with 10mm wider wheels and a bespoke chassis tune that boosts steering response times by 30% and reduces body roll by 10%. 

All cars except the entry-level Techno have a rear axle that can turn up to 5deg at low speeds to reduce the turning circle and improve agility – giving a 10.4m turning circle to match the Clio – or follow the direction of the front axle at speeds of above 31mph for improved stability in fast manoeuvres. Sure enough, the Rafale is commendably unflappable when pushing on, holding its line even with the throttle applied mid-corner, with a pleasing sensation of rotating around its mid-point that you could just about compare to torque-vectoring hot hatches like the Audi S3 or old Renault Mégane RS, if you were feeling generous. 

But inevitably the Rafale falls some way short of truly satisfying the keener driver. The steering rack is quick and the chassis agreeably pliant and predictable, which facilitates brisk and steady progress along sweeping roads, but it isn't rewarding or engaging, the steering being rather too numb to ever really encourage exuberance.

It took me a while to get used to the brake pedal, too, which lacks modulation at low speed and can feel a bit like an on-off switch. 

The Alpine-fettled PHEV should go some way to rectifying some of the Rafale’s most obvious performance and handling shortcomings, with four-wheel drive and 296bhp. But the added weight of another motor and a much bigger battery is unlikely to improve the Rafale’s rolling refinement, which is one of its weaker points. 

Body roll is kept in check remarkably well and I quite enjoyed the relaxed, lolloping gait into which the Rafale settles over undulating terrain, but the fussy and fidgety secondary ride goes some way to denting its premium appeal. It’s improved over the Austral, no doubt, but coarser road surfaces and imperfections set the seat base and steering column juddering, and there’s rather too much clonking and thumping over potholes for my liking at this price point. The tyre roar and wind noise at a fast cruise are fairly pervasive, too.

I can’t help wondering whether the Espace’s softer spring rates and some thicker tyres might have helped to cement the Rafale hybrid’s positioning as a hassle-free mile-muncher.

The addition of a 22kWh battery pack and another electric motor increases the Rafale 4x4’s kerb weight from 1714kg to a beefy 1934kg, which is faintly perturbing given that a fussy and slightly unrefined ride is already one of the full hybrid’s shortcomings. The decision to plonk the Atelier Alpine version on thinly wrapped 21in alloys will have done little to help mitigate that increase in bulk.

But Alpine’s engineering contributions to the 4x4 extend to an intelligent adaptive suspension set-up with variable compression ratios and a camera that scans the road ahead to prime them for lumps, bumps and camber changes. The results are pleasing: where the FWD car fidgets over rough surfaces and clunks its way over potholes, the 4x4 is markedly less fussy. It rounds out imperfections admirably and effectively minimises the transmission of wheel impacts through to the seat base and steering wheel, making for a refined and convincingly plush experience that lends credence to Renault’s ambition to take on the German premium mainstays.

Dieppe has also fettled the standard-fit four-wheel steering in a bid for heightened responsiveness and agility, and so too can you feel the effects here. The Rafale already changed direction quickly and predictably, but now it does so with an extra hit of precision and engagement.

The steering is more pleasingly weighty, and in tight bends you can feel the middle of the car pivoting around the apex, while the torque-vectoring gives you the confidence to brake late and get back on the power early - hardly priorities for a car of this nature, but it's nice to know you can, no? At the very least, it proves that Alpine’s input goes well below the skin and this is far more than a cynical branding exercise. 

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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Many of the Rafale’s rivals remain available with pure-combustion or mild-hybrid power for a good deal less outlay, but it’s an attractive proposition on paper when compared with its most obvious electrified rivals.

The two-year PCP finance packages start at £289 per month at 0% APR after a deposit of £12,659, and Renault will contribute up to £1750 to the deposit on a 6.9% four-year package. So it undercuts its premium German rivals by a healthy margin and remains competitive with more mainstream alternatives. 

The Rafale’s projected running costs paint a similarly compelling picture. It’s capable of returning 60.1mpg according to the WLTP cycle, which places it comfortably among the most frugal of the petrol-powered SUVs. We didn’t get anywhere near that on our test route, but we would still anticipate an impressive 45-50mpg to be achievable in everyday running, based on experience of the technically related Austral; and Renault estimates that the motor alone can handle up to 80% of all miles covered in urban areas. 

The PHEV, meanwhile, has a 22kWh battery that can charge at 7.4kW and tops up on the move using regenerative braking, always holding enough juice that the Rafale always starts and moves off the mark on EV power. Officially, it’s rated to give an electric range of 66 miles, which is a fair bit higher than the likes of the Mazda CX-60, Volvo XC60 and DS 7 PHEVs.

Official WLTP figures will have you believe the Rafale 4x4 is capable of a comical 565mpg - and that would be true if you drove it 99% of the time in EV mode and drove at walking pace on the rare occasions when you woke the engine up. As it is, that’s an outlandishly fantastical figure, but we netted 55mpg and 3.2mpkWh on a very demanding 60-mile test route, which is impressive - even with the caveat that the weather was warm and we started with a fully charged battery. Using hybrid mode for daily drudgery, upwards of 60mpg should be well within reach. 

Although the 4x4 commands a substantial premium in outright terms, its much lower BIK tax rating of 8% will make it much more appealing to fleet buyers, compared with the standard hybrid, which is in the 27% bracket.

VERDICT

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For all the rebellious, game-changing potential of Luca de Meo’s Renaulution plan, the fact remains that Renault is a business that has to make money. So we can lament its decision to launch an SUV as its new flagship rather than a saloon as much as we like, but ain’t nobody buying a reborn Laguna. So rarely does it pay to go against the grain. 

Happily, the Rafale feels different and interesting enough to stand out in an increasingly crowded – if slightly confused – market segment, with potentially broad appeal across various demographics, and does so at a price point that undercuts some similarly conceived stalwarts. 

The ride is a weak point on the conventionally sprung standard car, which can’t claim a dynamic or performance edge over any of its core rivals, but from a practicality and value standpoint, it’s well worthy of consideration.

The PHEV is easily the pick of this range, though, combining impressive real-world frugality with a genuinely nuanced dynamic character and hot hatch levels of straight-line pace. It's still a niche proposition, with many cheaper and more capacious alternatives on offer, but in a class that continues to be sorely lacking in charismatic and aspirational contenders, we can celebrate the fact that this handsome and techy flagship now has the powertrain that it was crying out for. 

Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years.