It is the first production car to sport the French carmaker’s new design language

The Renault Rafale marks the start of a new era for the French carmaker as its international flagship offering. This petrol hybrid SUV gets its name from Caudron-Renault Rafale, a monoplane which set a speed record in 1934 by flying at 445kmph. The coupe-styled Rafale SUV comes loaded with tech and here are its top five highlights:

Hybrid Powertrains

The Renault Rafale has been unveiled with a petrol hybrid powertrain which gets a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine (130PS/205Nm) that comes with two electric motors and an automatic gearbox. The main electric motor is powered by a 2kWh battery pack that generates 50PS/205Nm and the secondary motor has an output of 25PS/50Nm which is used to start the engine and power the gear changes. With this setup, the Rafale gets a combined power output of 200PS and claims a driving range of 1,100 km on a full tank.

The carmaker also announced that it will also bring a more powerful 300PS version of the Rafale later which will get an electric motor on the rear axle to make it a four-wheel drive SUV. This version will also come with a plug-in hybrid powertrain for increased economy and might also offer an EV-only range.

Sporty Seats With An Illuminated Logo

Inside the upmarket cabin of the top-spec Alpine variant of the Renault Rafale, you’ll see sporty gray and blue seats finished with both leather and fabric. These seats are made from 61 percent recycled Alcantara. But the highlight of these seats is an illuminated logo for the old Renault performance brand, Alpine, placed below the headrests. These logos light up and can change colour based on the car settings, something that we’ve seen in a car for the first time.

Moving Front Grille

Another cool feature this car has is its moving radiator grille which is made of small diamond-shaped elements, resembling the carmaker’s logo. Unlike the active grille seen in some luxury brands, there are no mechanical parts in the grille that will help it move. Instead, these small diamonds are placed in such a way that it creates an optical illusion and appears to move depending on the angle you are looking at it from.

A Glass Roof With Different Shades

The Rafale gets a big panoramic glass roof which from the outside looks no different than a glass roof in any mass market car. But it offers a feature which takes the use of a glass roof to the next level. This smart glass roof has nine sequential darkening elements that can be controlled via google assistant. It comes with four modes: all light, all dark, dark in front with light in rear and light in front with dark in the rear.

Multi-purpose Rear Armrest

Apart from performance, Renault has also focused on comfort and convenience for its passengers with the Rafale. One such example of this is the rear seat armrest which offers a lot of functionality. Other than having the basics of an armrest like two cupholders and space to rest your arms, it also gets two USB ports to charge your devices, space for tables and smartphones and two screen stands that fold out for you to rest your media devices at your preferred angle.

Also Read: Renault Touches The 10 Lakh Production Milestone In 16 Years

This degree of functionality is something usually found only in luxury vehicles. While the Rafale does not offer these comforts wrapped in exquisite materials or with fancy screens, the fold-out design of the rear armrest to expand its use is certainly distinctive.

The Renault Rafale will launch in the international market in 2024 and as of now, it is unlikely that this product will hit the shores of India. Let us know which of these features you found interesting and if you would want to see this car on Indian roads.