Renault Rafale (2024)

Renault Rafale

Since the campaign to reconquer the C-segment – one of the main goals in the Renaulution strategic plan – is well under way with the Megane E-Tech 100% electric, Arkana E-Tech full hybrid and Austral E-Tech full hybrid success stories, it’s time for Renault to make its next move on the D-segment with a completely new and daring model: the all new Renault Rafale.

Now that Renault has revamped its arsenal of technology for hybrid powertrains, chassis’, and electronic equipment, it was time to use that engineering knowledge to create a new vehicle born and bred for driving pleasure and launch its new flagship: the all new Renault Rafale.

Rafale is a French word that derives from natural energy: wind, and is also an aeronautical reference. Aviation has played an important part in Renault’s history: the Caudron-Renault Rafale, which flew at a record-breaking 277 mph in 1934, is only one example.

The all new Renault Rafale is the first production vehicle entirely designed according to the new visual language that Gilles Vidal has brought in as Head of Design Renault. It is ushering in a new era in Renault’s design: it is visionary, daring, perfectly in tune with its time and tailor-made for a period when everything is moving ever faster.

The all new Renault Rafale also features up-to-the-minute connectivity and a 200 hp E-Tech full hybrid powertrain that is as efficient as it is frugal and uses recycled materials.

It was born to take driving pleasure to ever new heights and will be enhanced with technological breakthroughs that will rank it high up in the high-performance automotive universe with a new E-Tech 4x4 300 hp powertrain.

Renault has crafted its DNA around optimal driving pleasure – but not the self-centred kind; pleasure that the driver enjoys alongside passengers in a “car for life and living.” Driving pleasure is a priority, but never at the expense of passengers, who have plenty of space and amenities to enjoy as well. The all new Renault Rafale is an advanced coupe SUV, it looks as vibrant as it feels when you drive it, and it is an opportunity to share an intense driving experience with friends or children – however grown-up they may be.

The all new Renault Rafale 200 hp E-Tech full hybrid will reach markets in spring 2024.

“The all new Renault Rafale is central in the Renaulution, symbolises our move upmarket and shows that we belong in every customer segment. With its captivating coupe SUV design crafted for intense experiences, it provides unprecedented driving pleasure with its hybrid powertrains and a standard-setting chassis brimming with passion and know-how from Renault engineers.” Fabrice Cambolive, CEO, Renault brand

"The all new Rafale is a powerful illustration of the Renault brand's new design language. It is in keeping with its DNA through generous curves, treated with great precision, combined with lines of tension and technical details that bring character and sophistication to the whole. With its unprecedented style, quality craftsmanship and proportions, the all new Renault Rafale asserts its power and personality on the road." Gilles Vidal, VP Design, Renault brand

EXTERIOR

The all new Renault Rafale is built on the Alliance’s latest-generation CMF-CD platform. The car’s design is unprecedented, and its designers created its original, bold exterior from a blank sheet of paper. This approach led to a new visual language that captures the brand’s identity and shines freely, with meaning, in a natural yet premium way.

A powerful status-symbol coupe SUV

Its slightly raised fastback-style body ranks the all new Renault Rafale in the coupe SUV category.

The vehicle’s silhouette is vibrant and sporty. Its long horizontal bonnet points to power. The bow beneath it is chiselled and features the new radiator grille and signature light pattern that Renault introduced on New Clio E-Tech full hybrid. The protruding bonnet and sculpted front bumper seem to impel the car forwards.

The muscular shoulders carry presence around the rear wheels, hinting at the power propelling the car. The skid plate emerging from under the rear bumper also shows the car’s presence while the sloping roofline with one last jut points to speed.

“To work, design has to be just as powerful and effective if you are standing 50 metres, 10 metres or 50 centimetres away. From a distance, what strikes you is the all new Renault Rafale’s forceful face and proportions. When you draw nearer, it’s the flowing line that wows you. And, close-up, it’s the attention to detail that catches your eye and sparks your interest.” Alexis Martot, Head of Exterior Design, Renault

Ideal proportions

The all new Renault Rafale is 4.71 metres long and 1.86 metres wide, squarely placing it in the D-segment. Added to which,  it’s 1.61 metres high, making it a quintessential sporty SUV.

The car has a long wheelbase at 2.74 metres, while the roofline is flawlessly curved to provide plenty of headroom in the back seats and doesn’t impinge on the rear windscreen.

The rear windscreen tilts 17 degrees, which is exactly right for aerodynamic efficiency. And it renders rear wipers unnecessary, which keeps the car’s lines pure.

Meanwhile, its wider wheel track solidly grounds the vehicle and makes the most of the black parts of the wheels both from a vertical perspective (the wheels crop out slightly) and from a horizontal perspective (the 20-inch wheels fill the wheel arches).

“The all new Renault Rafale is sized to give it a status-symbol aura, its design is vibrant, and it has a powerful personality. So, it naturally stands out as the Renault brand’s new flagship.” Agneta Dahlgren, CMF-CD Design Project Director

New visual language

The all new Renault Rafale’s design unfolds the brand’s new visual language by Gilles Vidal, which was first seen through the Scenic Vision concept car in 2022 and first applied to a road-going car, the New Clio, in 2023. It encapsulates Renault models’ DNA in its chiselled shapes and generous curves and features a variety of technical details. This now includes character lines that seem to stretch the skin over the body, creating folds, fanning out and fading into the car’s contours.

In the all new Rafale, the supple volumes combined with the body colours create an interesting contrast with the fiercely geometric, faceted black surfaces.

The new lines and ridges in the curves add meticulously calibrated rays of light to the body, which blend into a thoroughly pleasing visual impression.

“We created surprising effects everywhere we could. Wherever you look on the body, there is always something going on. Everywhere your eye falls, there is a special attraction.” Alexis Martot, Head of Exterior Design, Renault

A moving radiator grille

The all new Renault Rafale’s novel radiator grille is built around the brand’s hallmark diamond. It is made up of a constellation of small diamonds that arrange space in three dimensions around the emblem in the middle.

This diamond black coloured pattern is a nod to the all new Rafale’s premium credentials. It stands out against the iron blue or shadow grey hues (depending on the version) that appear and disappear in the background depending on where you look at it from – like works of optical art in the 1970s. This is Renault tipping its hat to Victor Vasarely, the Op Art movement’s high priest, and to a surname that has left its mark in Renault’s history: Victor’s son Yvaral Vasarely designed the 1972 logo – to which the brand pays a “moving” tribute with its new Nouvel’R logo.

“The all new Rafale’s grille moves the way clothes move over skin; the interplaying shadows, reflections and colours animate it, it looks like it’s alive.” Alexis Martot, Head of Exterior Design, Renault

The radiator grille’s design, which has a very complex structure, was created using artificial intelligence in a parametric modelling software application. This technology makes it possible to try out a plethora of patterns and interactions in space, by modifying dimensions, angles, situations, and other parameters.

This type of software is used extensively in architecture. It for example helped to design the “Bird’s Nest” Olympic stadium in Beijing.

A new signature light pattern

The New Clio E-Tech full hybrid was the first vehicle in Renault’s line-up to feature the brand’s new signature lights, and the all new Rafale is the second. The pattern unambiguously points to Renault: it’s diamond-shaped, forceful and robust, and visually enhances the car.

“There is something jubilant about the way the diamond theme appears, and there’s also a lot of freedom. It’s everywhere in the design. The lights follow the same visual pattern as our logo and the oblique lines naturally bring the brand to mind.” Agneta Dahlgren, CMF-CD Design Project Director

Expanding lights

To visually enhance car’s width and add poise, the two rear lights are as far apart as they can be. They look like sculptures embedded in the edges. Their shape was inspired by Chinese tangram puzzles (a large square divided into five triangles, a parallelogram, and a smaller square). The micro-optic technology in them makes them spring to life when they are on, and they create a “floating ice-cube” effect when they are off.

Two new colours

The all new Renault Rafale will be available in five body colours including two previously unreleased ones: a new satin White Pearl and a new Alpine Blue tone.

The first adds clarity by directing your gaze to the body’s lines. It uses the same innovative technology as Austral’s Shale Grey Satin, which derives its satin-matte look exclusively from the varnish and makes it resistant to UV rays, carwash rollers and other aggressions the car withstands day after day.

The all new Rafale is the first Renault brand model to feature Alpine Blue. This tone has never quite stood still in the Dieppe-base brand’s history. And it has changed again, if ever so slightly; on the all new Rafale, it is a shade deeper than on the Alpine A 110.

The three other colours available for the all new Rafale are Flame Red, Diamond Black and gloss Ceramic Grey.

THE PLATFORM AND POWERTRAINS : DRIVING PLEASURE AT ITS SOURCE

The all new Renault Rafale is built on the Alliance’s modular CMF-CD platform, which offers unparalleled possibilities for technological content, across the running gear, powertrains and technological equipment. Its 200 hp E-Tech full hybrid petrol powertrain, combined with its multimode automatic transmission, put its range among the longest and its CO2 emissions among the lowest in its segment. It will soon feature a new high-performance variant E-Tech 4x4 300 hp.

Chassis: precision for pleasure

Driving pleasure, one of the overarching goals when Renault was developing the all new Rafale’s running gear, has reached new heights in this car that combines a multi-link rear axle with the latest upgrade to the 4CONTROL Advanced 4-wheel-drive system.

Multi-link suspension enables the most efficient settings for road holding without hampering comfort, and muffles more of the noise from the undercarriage.

The 4CONTROL Advanced 4-wheel-drive system significantly improves handling at low speeds, and boosts agility and vigour at average and high speeds.

When you negotiate a turn at less than 30 mph, the rear wheels turn very slightly (up to 1 degree) in the same direction as the front wheels, reducing the rear wheels’ inertia and improving the car’s stability. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn up to 5 degrees in the opposite direction, providing unrivalled agility and shortening the all new Renault Rafale’s turning radius to 10.4 metres (the same as a city car).

While the all new Austral E-Tech full hybrid also come with a multi-link rear axle and 4CONTROL Advanced, the all new Rafale additionally features Vehicle Motion Control 2 (VMC 2), an upgraded electronic system governing the rear wheels. It anticipates loss of hold more effectively, so you can negotiate bends faster and know that all four wheels are in the optimal position on uneven and damaged roads. The all new Rafale also has a wider track, wider wheels (245 mm) and specific spring, shock-absorber and roll-bar settings, which optimise comfort as much as verve.

Lastly, the agility of the chassis – with or without 4CONTROL Advanced – is amplified by the calibration of the steering and its very direct ratio (13), so you can enjoy a thrilling experience from the system’s surgical precision on bends.

“The all new Renault Rafale is the result of a textbook case. When Luca de Meo took over as Renault’s CEO, he asked us to extract the full potential from each platform. The all new Rafale does exactly that: it makes the most of the CMF-CD platform in terms of the car’s dimensions, technology, and emotional power.” Grégory Launay, Product Performance Leader, Renault Rafale

Powertrain: hybrid at its highest

Like the all new Austral, the all new Renault Rafale will launch with the 200 hp E-Tech full hybrid petrol powertrain linked to a clutchless multimode automatic dog box.

This powertrain is powerful, economical, automatic and self-charging. It provides the best mpg figures in its segment (60.1 mpg and 105 g. CO2/km, pending certification) and a range that makes you want to hit the road (up to 683 miles of range). You can enjoy an optimal driving experience every time, and even enhance it with your own choice of MULTI-SENSE settings.

“The all new Rafale interlinks two Renault lineages: its motorsports heritage from the high-performance saloons like the R21 Turbo and Safrane Baccara Biturbo on one side, and the innovative spirit that brought about concepts like people carriers, turbo technology and E-Tech hybrid powertrains on the other.” Grégory Launay, Product Performance Leader, Renault Rafale

High-tech mechanisms

The 200 hp E-Tech full hybrid powertrain has a “series-parallel” architecture. It encompasses a 3 cylinder 1.2 litre turbocharged 130 hp (96 kW) petrol internal combustion engine delivering 205 Nm of torque, and two electric motors. Even on its own, the internal combustion engine a technological gem, combining a Miller combustion cycle, low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation, a variable-geometry turbocharger and a diesel-engine-like long-stroke architecture. The result is an extraordinary 41% energy efficiency ratio. The main electric motor delivers 50 kW (70 hp) and 205 Nm. It is powered by a 2 kWh/400V lithium-ion battery for full-electric driving. The secondary electric motor is a 25 kW and 50 Nm High-voltage Starter Generator (HSG) that starts the engine and powers gear changes in the clutchless dog box.

Efficient and long-lasting charges

With its all-electric ignition and energy regeneration system that kicks in automatically when you slow down or brake, you can drive in electric mode 80% of the time in cities and use 40% less fuel than with an equivalent internal-combustion engine with this E-Tech full hybrid powertrain. You get the whole electric driving experience and none of the charging constraints.

Charging is managed automatically by the smart gearbox, which taps into the engine and motors to top up the battery. The driver, however, can override the smart gearbox with a choice of four regenerative braking levels, using the paddles on the steering wheel.

The multimode box

The multimode automatic dog box derived from Formula 1 technology combines the main electric motor’s two ratios and the internal combustion engine’s four ratios. The 15 possible ways of combining the motors and engine will optimise driving pleasure, consumption or CO2 emissions depending on which you choose.

The smart multimode box automatically selects the powertrain’s mode, which can be all-electric, all-combustion, dynamic hybrid (the engine and motors move the wheels together), e-drive (the motor moves the wheels and the engine charges the battery) or regeneration (the motor taps into the kinetic energy).

“Our new 200 hp E-Tech full hybrid powertrain uses the electric motors as much as possible, whatever the circumstances, to optimise consumption. The fact that you can use the electric motor up to 80% of the time in cities ranks the car among the best in its category.” Gwenaël Le Merrer, Head Engineer, Renault Rafale

A high-performance E-Tech 4x4 300 hp version in the pipeline

The all new Renault Rafale, which is designed for driving pleasure and performance levels never seen before in Renault’s line-up, will later be enhanced with a substantially upgraded hybrid powertrain with all its settings optimised to unleash 300 hp.

Optimising a variety of features will help to reach 300 hp, but most of the boost will come from two technical adjustments. The first is an additional electric motor on the rear axle, that will move the wheels directly, making the all new Rafale a 4-wheel-drive coupe-SUV. Then it will be a plug-in hybrid, so you can use the all new Rafale in full-electric mode for practically all your everyday outings and enjoy its ample range on long journeys without a worry in the world – and without missing out on any of the fun behind the wheel.

In addition to four driving wheels and four turning wheels (with 4CONTROL Advanced), this high-performance E-Tech 4x4 300 hp version of the all new Renault Rafale will come with a chassis fine-tuned for intelligent new-generation undercarriage management.

LIFE ON BOARD A HIGH-TECH PASSENGER COMPARTMENT EVERYONE WILL ENJOY

Inside, the all new Renault Rafale features the brand-new Solarbay darkening glass roof with cutting-edge technology plus new interface graphics on the two OpenR screens. Additionally, the seats are in a class by itself: they include a high-tech rear armrest for passengers in the back and a trailblazing choice of colours and materials. The cockpit is 100% geared for driving pleasure but the car is nevertheless true to Renault’s DNA and accordingly pampers all its passengers.

Solarbay, a new darkening glass roof

The pioneering, spectacular 1,470 mm by 1,117 mm Solarbay panoramic glass roof was developed by Saint-Gobain and the all new Renault Rafale is the first car in the world to use this iteration of it. Its AmpliSky technology replaces standard screens with a full active system that darkens each of its segments on demand, using electric fields to displace molecules. It provides maximum protection from the sun in seconds, and the sequential darkening of the nine segments across the glass surface is exhilarating to watch. This smart glass roof can be voice-controlled via Google Assistant and has a switch by the ceiling light to control it manually.

The driver and passengers can choose between four roof settings: all light, all dark, light in the front and dark behind, and the reverse. It is more practical than a standard sunshade because the passengers in the back can let the sunlight in even if the people in the front prefer not to. The Solarbay roof also provides an extra 30 mm of headroom, which makes a significant difference – especially for passengers in the rear of a coupe. The car doesn’t feel like a hothouse or icebox: Saint-Gobain’s laminated glass keeps the temperature comfortable in summer and winter, like automatic sunshades. And the glass darkens automatically when you step out of the car.

Solarbay darkening glass roofs use Polymer Dispersed Liquid Cristal (PDLC) technology derived from the construction industry and tweaked for car occupants. So far, only ultra-premium carmakers have fitted it, plus the all new Renault Rafale is the first car from a full-line automotive manufacturer to use it with the partial roof darkening feature.

“This Solarbay darkening glass roof is the perfect example of the useful, simple-to-use technology we wanted for the all new Renault Rafale. It is more efficient than a standard sunshade on every score. Plus, it’s smarter and easier to use. And it produces that wow effect!” Gwenaël Le Merrer, Head Engineer, Renault Rafale

Sporty seats

The all new Renault Rafale’s completely new seats have reinforced sides to match the car’s dynamic behaviour with thorough lateral and longitudinal support. Among other upsides, they make the chassis’ road holding on turns even more exciting.

The Alcantara upholstery helps to keep the driver upright, adds to the sporty feel and is eco-friendly (it is the first 61% recycled Alcantara interior).

“To bolster the Grand Tourisme effect, the side reinforcements on the seats are gadrooned, like the reinforcements on biker jackets.” François Farion, Design Director, Colour & Trim, Renault Group

A light logo on the seats

In the all new Renault Rafale’s esprit Alpine trim, the Alcantara on the seats is perforated so you can catch a glimpse of the blue fabric lining and its iridescent effect – which will remind you of the radiator grille. The A-and-Arrow logo at the top of the seat back literally lights up and flashes in synch with a beating human heart – an allegory for the surging excitement you feel when you draw near the car. The lighting adjusts to match the colour you selected in the MULTI-SENSE settings. The lights are embedded in a completely flexible fabric, so they don’t stiffen the seat back in the slightest. This technology is being used for the first time worldwide here.

“The all new Renault Rafale recognises its driver coming towards it and the lights in the Alpine logo on the seats beat like a heart, signifying the close connection between them. An invitation to driving pleasure has never been expressed with so much passion.” Agneta Dahlgren, CMF-CD Design Project Director

Three-colour overstitching

Producing the red, white and blue overstitching in the passenger compartment of the the All new Renault Rafale’s esprit Alpine trim involved building a new three-head machine to sew three threads simultaneously.

A steering wheel like nothing you have felt before

The all new Renault Rafale’s steering wheel is derived, with only minor tweaks, from the Megane E-Tech electric’s and Austral’s. Here, the Renault emblem’s oblique lines are smithed into the centre and the bright black medallion is gone. The esprit Alpine trim has an Alcantara inlay inside the lower part of the steering wheel. And Renault has used a TEP-like material (including 34% of recycled material on the reverse side), that feels even better than leather, to replace all animal products without affecting driving pleasure or watering down the tantalising sensation. Renault has reasserted its aim of no longer using leather by 2024.

Natural, innovative materials

The all new Renault Rafale is the first car worldwide to include dyed cork and slate in its passenger compartment. In the esprit Alpine trim, the slate evokes the Alpine universe in a very real way. It clads the dashboard on the passenger side and the hand-rest. These extra-thin slate sheets are not rough in the slightest and bend around shapes as effortlessly as a sheet made from wood. The Techno trim has cork dyed black – providing a premium feel – on the dashboard. Besides serving a decorative purpose, it is extremely lightweight and non-reflective.

Generously sized

Driving pleasure may be driver-centred, but journeys are more enjoyable with others. The all new Renault Rafale is uncompromising on the former doesn’t cut corners when it comes to indulging passengers: its passenger compartment is generously sized all around. The car’s lengthy 2.74 metre wheelbase opens up a comfortable 302 mm knee radius in the back. The long wheelbase also makes for more headroom under the sloping roof – 880 mm in the back seat – without affecting the coupe silhouette.

As long journeys often involve lots of luggage, the all new Rafale has a very roomy 647-litre boot.

“After driving your family around in an SUV or people carrier, the all new Rafale is the car you choose when you want to thoroughly enjoy driving – and seat two young adults comfortably in the back.” Grégory Launay, Product Performance Leader, Renault Rafale

A high-tech rear armrest

One example of all the care that went into keeping back-seat passengers comfortable and connected is the all new Renault Rafale’s innovative centre armrest, which is designed for the multimedia devices that make life on board more enjoyable. This high-tech armrest has two USB power outlets, storage space for tablets and smartphones, and two foldout screen stands for comfortable viewing.

New screen graphics

The all new Renault Rafale’s OpenR digital cockpit – which was introduced in the Megane E-Tech 100% electric then tweaked for all Austral E-Tech full hybrid, is made up of two adjacent tiles arranged into an L shape: a horizontal TFT 321 sq. cm. 12.3 inch diagonal display on the dashboard (1920 x 720 pixels, landscape format) and a vertical 453 sq. cm. 12 inch diagonal touchscreen in the middle of the console (1250 x 1562 pixels, portrait format).

OpenR is precisely positioned to be easy to see and reach, so the driver can enjoy the multimedia system without taking their eyes off the road. The navigation experience enhanced by the Google ecosystem has been extensively tried and tested and has emerged as a benchmark in its field. The system’s visual interface is brand new, befits the all new Rafale’s unprecedented, spectacular looks, and underlines the car’s character and technology.

The user-interface designers created a new, trailblazing visual atmosphere. Like the vehicle’s exterior and interior design, it stems from the brand’s new emblem and captures its visual force. The diamond is there subliminally, in the form of a 28° rising diagonal segment. This diagonal line is everywhere, providing the pattern to display information on the dashboard and centre tile that combine to form the OpenR screen.

On the dashboard display facing the driver, the usual circle has been replaced by the 28° diagonal line – the speed line – that changes colour when the engine increases in revs or the car speeds up. The new font on the screens is bold and flattened, so the display blends beautifully with the latest digital universes on smartphone and laptop screens. The colours are pop – which the Renault brand loves – with silky shading, made possible by the OpenR screen’s fantastic display.

The centre display uses Google’s system for natural, intuitive navigation. It looks and feels a lot like browsing around a smartphone. Each MULTI-SENSE setting displays a new dashboard, with its own distinct colours, and the vehicle’s shape on the screen is the same colour as the car’s body.

“When we introduced the OpenR Link multimedia system on the Megane E-Tech 100% electric, it redefined the driving experience and became a benchmark in its field. On the all new Rafale, we adjusted the style and soundscape to match the car’s compelling personality. The subtle colour shading is not something you see often in human-machine interaction. The experience in this car is bigger than the journey!” Romain Mottier, Head of Experience Design, Renault Group

An upgraded head-up display

The all new Renault Rafale pays tribute to its name and to the aviation world with a new, improved and extra-large (9.3 inch) head-up display. The car’s speed, active driver assistance systems, speeding warning and driving directions are projected directly onto the windscreen, for optimal visibility in all circumstances. The driver can thus remain fully focused on the road – for even more intense driving pleasure.

Adjustable lighting moods

To enhance the experience in the passenger compartment, the all new Renault Rafale provides a variety of fun and friendly possibilities in its MULTI-SENSE settings. You can for example select the Living Lights colour you prefer, which stretches across the LED strip on the dashboard and door panels.  Meanwhile, for a relaxing experience, the lighting includes an automatic mode that adjusts every 30 minutes to suit your 24-hour circadian clock and the time of day (with cold colours during the day and warm ones at night).

CONNECTIVITY AND SAFETY CUTTING-EDGE AND INTUITIVE TECHNOLOGY

The all new Renault Rafale comes with the full array of technology for the Alliance’s ultramodern CMF-CD platform – the platform used on the all new Austral E-Tech full hybrid. It includes advanced driver assistance systems (ADASs) and OpenR Link. OpenR Link comes with several new features, and artificial intelligence provides new services for the driver and passengers. Its universe is open and scalable, to always keep the car at the leading edge of technology.

Seamless connectivity

With the all new Renault Rafale, there are no borders between your digital life outside and inside the car, and between your smartphone and the car’s OpenR Link multimedia system with built-in Google capabilities.

The system comes with Google Maps, Google Assistant and many other apps (up to 35 apps for UK markets) from the Google Play catalogue. It’s exactly like using a smartphone. The interface is also fully customisable, connects by wire or wirelessly, and is compatible with smartphones running Android Auto or Apple Carplay.

In addition to its new design, the OpenR Link multimedia system on the All new Rafale uses Android Automotive 12 (instead of Android Automotive 10), which among other improvements makes it easier to pair devices via Bluetooth and simplifies navigation in some menus. The predictive maintenance feature is also more advanced: it can now warn the driver when the wheels will need aligning and when the air conditioning mechanism will need servicing.

OpenR Link is scalable and connects to the cloud to automatically download recommended updates using FOTA (Firmware Over The Air) technology. So there’s no need to stop at a garage or dealership to stay up to date.

Useful artificial intelligence

There are several AI-powered capabilities inside the all new Renault Rafale, and they are all there to help the driver and passengers. In many cases, the system proactively makes suggestions – for instance to switch off the air conditioning if a window is open or to switch it on if it is too warm inside. These proactive recommendations are based on “routine” patterns that the AI system picks up and analyses as time goes by.

Added safety without diminishing pleasure

For optimal, stress-free driving pleasure, the all new Renault Rafale comes with 32 advanced driver assistance systems (ADASs) divided into three categories: driving, safety and parking. And it now includes Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA), a system that automatically alerts the driver if the car’s speed exceeds the limit it reads on road signs.

What’s more, Safety Score and Safety Coach are there to provide added peace of mind for the driver.

Smart, efficient lighting

The all new Renault Rafale’s headlights are powered by technology that optimises them in all circumstances. All versions come with LED Adaptative Vision technology, which adjusts dipped headlights according to driving conditions. With LED Matrix Vision technology, available higher up the range, the driver can keep the full-beam lights on all the time, improving their visual comfort without dazzling drivers in other vehicles.

The Active Driver Assist system

This new-generation motorway and traffic assistant equates to Level 2 autonomous driving on all types of roads (no longer only expressways). It does this by combining Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Keeping Assist and factors in geolocation data and specific maps enabling the car to adapt predictively to the road.

The Active Driver Assist system’s built-in technology to read traffic signs and warn the driver if they are driving over the speed limit (Over Speed Prevention, OSP) can also be used by itself. For extra peace of mind, the driver can also let OSP take over the car’s cruise control.

For full control over the Active Driver Assist system, a real-time model of the vehicle’s position in its lane, along with and other people, cars and objects on the road, can also be displayed on the dashboard.

Other ADASs

• Driving: Cruise control / Adaptative Cruise Control (ACC) with Stop & Go / Distance Warning (DW) / Around View Monitor (AVM, providing 3D, 360° vision) / Hill Start Assist (HSA)
• Safety: Active Emergency Braking System (AEBS) and Rear AEB, including cross-traffic warning / Blind Spot Warning (BSW) / Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) / Lane Departure Warning (LDW) / Lane Change Warning (LCW) / Driver Attention Alert (DAA) / Trailer Stability Assist (TSA)
• Parking: Front, rear and side parking assistance, Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) / Bird’s Eye View / Occupant Safe Exit Alert (OSE)

QUALITY A TOP PRIORITY THROUGHOUT DEVELOPMENT

Alongside the Megane E-Tech  100% electric and all new Austral E-Tech full hybrid, the new Rafale is part of the Renault brand’s Renovation in the C and D segments, which centres on extraordinary products offering quality craftsmanship and up-to-the-minute technology.

Intensive and varied tests

The all new Renault Rafale is built on the CMF-CD platform, which has been enhanced based on the experience gathered over the two years it has been used by Austral.

Like all other new Renault models since the Megane E-Tech electric, the all new Rafale will undergo Confirmation Runs, a complementary real-life test-drive protocol introduced under the Quality strategic plan. These tests are conducted in addition to the certification cycles by professional test drivers on the tracks at the Aubevoye Test Centre and external tests in extreme hot and cold weather. The goal with the Confirmation Runs is to anticipate customer feedback by entrusting several vehicles to a large number of Renault Group employees before the model reaches the market. This new process generates a wide array of feedback covering an ample variety of use cases, to identify the final opportunities to fine-tune the car and ensure it meets the highest driving-pleasure, quality and reliability standards.

Over 100 employees will drive the car in all kinds of weather and cities across Europe, and on all kinds of roads and motorways. Engineering and test drivers will have driven all new Austral E-Tech full hybrid and all new Rafale a total of nearly 2 million miles on these Confirmation Runs. They are tasked with providing precise feedback using an app on their smartphone, so the brand’s engineers and experts can collect and analyse data practically in real time. This way, they can identify possible anomalies long before they occur with a customer behind the wheel, and ensure the car’s lifelong quality, reliability and durability.

Palencia, a plant at the forefront

The all new Renault Rafale will be produced at the Palencia plant in Spain. The Group invested substantially in this plant in preparation for the all new Austral E-Tech full hybrid launch. These investments ensure top production and operation quality for the three vehicles and their equipment. Two new ultramodern calibration benches were for example installed to make sure the latest-generation technological equipment works properly and reliably.

At the Palencia plant, the all new Renault Rafale’s roof is braze-welded onto the car. This weld is completely invisible on the body, so it is an improvement on the usual welding spots (there is no need to add a plastic cover around the roof to hide the spots). Combined with the roof’s extra-slim and extra-modern design, this technique improves the car’s perceived quality. You can also sense the quality inside, for example in the new felt fabric covering the glove compartment and the storage bins in the doors.

TECHNICAL DATA

Dimensions and weight

• Overall length: 4.71 m
• Overall width: 1.86 m
• Height: 1.61 m
• Wheelbase:  2.74 m
• Front overhang:  942 mm
• Rear overhang: 1,029 mm
• Ground clearance: 180 mm
• Weight: from 1,653 kg
• Boot volume: 647 litres

Powertrains

E-Tech full hybrid 200 hp

• ICE engine: 1.2 L 96 kW (130 hp) and 205 Nm
• Electric engines: 50 kW and 205 Nm / 25 kW and 50 Nm
• Battery: 2 kWh / 400 V
• Gearbox: multimode automatic dog box