Renault Rafale

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