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Renault Rafale E-Tech 4x4 300 hp Atelier Alpine

Renault Rafale: The Coupe-SUV That Looks Like the Louvre on Wheels

Author: Jaak Lassmann | Published on: 04.06.2025

Renault unveiled its new flagship, the Rafale, not in a showroom but right at the Le Bourget airfield during the Paris Air Show—an event usually reserved for supersonic jets and other airborne marvels. Don’t be fooled by the name, though. The Rafale isn’t an airplane, but rather an elegant nod to the 1930s Caudron-Renault racing aircraft. It’s the French way of saying: we can build something both stylish and fast—well, at least fast enough.

According to Renault, the Rafale combines the power of their old turbo sedans with the practicality of their legendary family cars. It sounds like someone tried to plate up croque monsieur and crème brûlée together, but somehow, it works. The Rafale is big, bold, and assertive—the kind of car that would make even the pickiest neighbor cast an envious glance.

Built on the Renault-Nissan CMF-CD platform, it shares about three-quarters of its components with models like the Espace and Austral. But don’t let that fool you. The Rafale is a different beast: 4.71 meters long, 1.61 meters tall, and with its coupe-like, streamlined silhouette, it politely tells every other family SUV: “Pardon, but I’m the most stylish of you all.”

There’s plenty of muscle here, too. At first, the Rafale launched as a modest 200-horsepower hybrid, but now the real crème de la crème has arrived—the all-wheel-drive Rafale E-Tech 4x4, delivering a hefty 300 horsepower.

Just a few years ago, the thought of Renault conjured up images of quirky little hatchbacks and family cars as dull as yesterday’s baguette. Then came the Arkana and others in quick succession, and now Rafale takes the stage—suddenly, it’s as if the Louvre’s art exhibition has hit the streets.

The Rafale isn’t just another French coupe SUV—it looks like a personal art project from the god of wind. “Rafale” means “gust” in French, and it seems the designers took this to heart. Check out the low, flowing roofline that drops into a muscular rear, like a couture gown at Paris Fashion Week. The result is a car that looks like it was shaped by the wind itself—if the wind had a design degree.

Things get even more unique up front. Renault’s designers have pulled off a neat optical trick: hundreds of tiny 3D “diamonds” across the grille shimmer and shift color depending on your viewpoint. It’s less a traditional grille and more a dynamic, borderline hallucinogenic art installation. The daytime running lights? They glimmer like an oil slick in rainbow hues.

The drama continues in profile: a wide stance, long hood, and dark plastic wheel arch trims hint that the Rafale isn’t afraid of a gravel road—though, let’s face it, this car is more at home on the Champs-Élysées than the local farm show. Especially the Alpine version, which debuts an exclusive blue shade that’s brighter than the Alpine A110 sports car—about as subtle as a neon pink tux at an Arvo Pärt concert.

And if you think that’s it, just wait until you see the roof. The Rafale features an electronically tinting panoramic roof called Solarbay, which doesn’t just darken all at once but in nine individual segments. Fun fact: the variable tinting is perfect for watching solar eclipses.

Step inside the Rafale, and you’ll feel as if you’ve teleported into the French vision of the future—only this time, it’s comfortable, spacious, and as chic as a Champs-Élysées boutique. A massive 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster dominates the driver’s view, looking like a space command center, with a 12-inch vertical touchscreen beside it. Whereas Renault’s old screens were about as readable as a Louvre info brochure, these are simply brilliant.

But the screens aren’t just for show. Renault calls them a “brain and heart” solution, which sounds like something off a Michelin-starred menu, but in practice means Google Maps and “Ok Google” voice control are built directly into the car. Want to find the nearest croissant? No problem—it happens as quickly as you can say “Bonjour!” Of course, there’s a slight French accent to the voice commands.

The Rafale’s tech doesn’t stop at the screens. Look slightly higher and you’ll spot a color head-up display projected onto the windshield, more reminiscent of a fighter jet’s targeting system than a typical car gadget—not a coincidence, given the Rafale’s aviation-inspired name.

Mood lighting? Not just plain white LEDs, but smart ambient lights that change shade every half hour. Yes, every 30 minutes, the Rafale’s interior subtly shifts from cool to warm, like a French sommelier trading white wine for red as evening falls. The idea is to keep the driver alert—but it also just looks cool.

The seats? As comfy as armchairs yet sculpted enough to keep passengers in place during spirited driving. Rear seat passengers, even tall ones, will be comfortable—seats slide forward and back, letting you prioritize legroom or cargo space as needed.

The trunk offers 530 liters of space, which will make some larger luxury SUVs blush. The materials are top-notch, too: steering wheel, gear lever, armrests—all wrapped in soft, upscale finishes worthy of a Dior handbag, not just a family car.

The Esprit Alpine version takes luxury even further. Alcantara upholstery with blue stitching, 61% recycled materials—it’s like eco-consciousness meets the autobahn. Tasteful hints of the French tricolor are stitched throughout the cabin, a subtle patriotic signature. And for a final flourish, there are decorative elements made from cork and natural slate, as if you’ve stepped into a refined lounge.

The Rafale E-Tech 4x4 has more motors than a Michelin-starred restaurant has courses. Renault calls it a “super hybrid”—and for once, the French aren’t exaggerating. Under the hood is a small but mighty 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, assisted by not one, not two, but three electric motors. The result: 300 horsepower and 450 Nm of torque, hurling this SUV from zero to 100 km/h in just 6.4 seconds. It’s not just fast in a straight line, either—overtaking is a breeze, with 80–120 km/h dispatched in just four seconds. And all this power is delivered without a prop shaft or mechanical link between the front and rear axles. The all-wheel drive is purely digital—connected virtually, like something out of a Silicon Valley engineer’s dream.

The Rafale can also travel up to 100 km on electric power alone—so around town, your neighbors will only hear a faint hint of how outdated their own cars are. The system smartly distributes power to the axles as needed, selecting from hundreds of scenarios to optimize performance, whether to the front, rear, or both at once.

Renault claims this giant hybrid can still achieve a fuel consumption of just 5.8 liters per 100 km even with an empty battery. In other words: the fuel economy of a small city car, but with the size, power, and comfort of a large family SUV. In real life, you’ll rarely (read: never) see such numbers, and even with your best efforts, expect fuel consumption to start with a 6.

The Rafale’s chassis is a real treat. 4Control Advance four-wheel steering allows this long-wheelbase SUV to turn within an 11.6-meter circle. The Atelier Alpine version adds active suspension that uses a forward-facing camera to scan the road—spotting potholes and speed bumps and adjusting the ride before the wheels even hit them. The multimedia system features a dedicated Chassis Control menu, letting you choose between Comfort, Dynamic, and Sport suspension modes. Comfort smooths things out, Dynamic is a balanced middle ground, and Sport makes the Rafale sharper and stiffer.

Onboard, there are no fewer than 32 different driver assistance and safety systems. Activate them all and the Rafale could probably land itself on Mars. On long highway drives, Active Driver Assist keeps the car in its lane, maintains speed, and automatically handles stop-and-go traffic—leaving you to simply sit back and enjoy the ride. True, all this electronics can be a bit fussy in wet weather, occasionally disabling some functions for a few (admittedly annoying) kilometers before returning to normal.

The Rafale reads traffic signs, automatically adjusts speed to match limits, and keeps a watchful eye on your heavy right foot—which can be irritating if you like to sneak a little over the limit now and then.

When reversing, the car warns you if something’s coming from the side and will even brake if needed. The 360-degree parking camera gives you a bird’s-eye view, so even the most parking-challenged drivers can slot it in place. There’s also Occupant Safe Exit—a handy feature that alerts you (loudly) if your child flings open a door just as a cyclist zips past.

In short, the Rafale is a bold French statement with a clear message: “Bonjour, German rivals, we’ve got a new toy.” It grabs attention. The tinting glass roof, aviation-inspired aerodynamic lines, and optical illusion grille—all scream elegance and futuristic style.

But don’t be distracted by the looks alone, because Rafale’s real magic is in its technology. Four-wheel steering, adaptive AWD, active suspension, Google-powered infotainment—it’s like a luxury science project. And all this comes in a package starting at around €48,000, which seems almost reasonable compared to the premium segment.

Critics might say 300 horsepower from a three-cylinder engine with a Renault badge is a risky move. But the Rafale really has no direct competitors—at least not at this price and performance point. It fills a gap you didn’t even know existed, surprising with dynamics more akin to a compact sports coupe than a nearly two-ton family SUV.