Renault Rafale E-Tech review: plush plug-in has lots to love

Introduction

There’s lots to like in the current Renault range, but in some cases there’s almost too much choice, with multiple models sitting in similar territory. For example, there’s the really very good Renault Scenic, the Renault Austral, the Renault Arkana and now this, the Renault Rafale. It’s a D segment sports SUV with plug-in power, and looks especially sharp in the top-of-the-range Atelier Alpine trim shown here.

Beyond extra curb appeal, this E-Tech 4×4 300 variant also has some interesting stuff going on underneath. There’s 300 horsepower for starters, supplemented by four-wheel steering, four-wheel drive and tweaked, self-adjusting suspension. On paper it sounds like a very appealing proposition. But then it needs to be, given the current crop of respectable rivals including the Citroen C5X, Audi Q3 Sportback, Peugeot 408 and BMW X2 – and the near-£50,000 asking price.

The styling

The Renault Rafale E-Tech is available in two trims, with the Techno Esprit Alpine sitting just below the slightly more lavish Atelier Alpine edition seen here. Each can be had with gorgeous exterior colours that look great, even when they’re sitting under grey skies. Trim flourishes abound with subtle badging that highlights the SUV’s Alpine performance credentials. The 21in Chicane alloys give the car a lofty stance, but interestingly they’re shod with Michelins that suggest this car also means business.

As a package, the exterior more than lives up to that delivered by other current models in the Renault range, with lots of interesting panel angles that lift it above the ordinary. There’s a neat panoramic sunroof too, complete with glass that can be changed from clear to opaque and back again. Nice.

The interior is similarly upbeat, with clever trim touches that set it apart from more bland rivals. Materials feel like they’ve been chosen carefully, and there are plenty of soft-touch finishes that take your eyes away from the more plastic-centric areas of the dashboard and door cards. The dashboard array is impressive too, with enough clever stuff to keep most folks happy. A smattering of physical controls plus Renault’s usual crop of steering column stalks (yes, the radio volume is down there as well), which offer up more interaction with the car than most in this class.

The drive

The Rafale E-Tech 4×4 300 tech spec sounded impressive, so I was expecting it to be a little more potent than it turned out to be. Setting off for my first foray in the car, power was delivered solely from the electric motor part of the plug-in equation. In fact, there’s a dedicated button on the centre console that allows the car to be driven under electric power for up to 65 miles or so, and it works to great effect in city traffic.

Underneath the bonnet sits a three-cylinder, 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, linked to an automatic gearbox. The electric and combustion engine arrangement works to good effect once the car switches into full hybrid mode. In fact, Renault reckons it’s good for nearly 600 miles combined. However, the Rafale is a reasonably hefty thing and while it should be good for 0-62mph in around 6.4 seconds, the power delivery doesn’t seem as instantaneous as expected.

Once it’s up and running though, the Rafale is decent enough on major roads. The other bonus with the Rafale is its tuned suspension setup, which is partnered with the four-wheel drive and steering arrangement to suggest it’ll be dynamic and, well, quite exciting. I gave it a good go around some mountainous and often tortuous B roads and the Rafale was good, but even with the suspension tweaks, it still felt a little bit laboured. Oddly enough, the Rafale felt more entertaining bobbing its way through busy city streets, where it seems very well suited, especially where parking or turning in tight spots was required.

The technology

Get behind the wheel of the Renault Rafale and the digital dashboard displays are the things that dominate. The so-called OpenR digital cockpit is pretty expansive, with a 12.3in TFT in front of the steering wheel and a 12.3in portrait screen that sits near the middle of the dash. The handy thing about this is that it’s essentially based around what you get from Google on your smartphone. Therefore, Google Maps is ready to go from the off, but there’s also the option of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay instead.

I liked the aforementioned Solarbay panoramic sunroof, that can be turned opaque either fully or via increments while the package is further beefed up by the likes of a power tailgate, 360-degree camera and hands-free parking convenience. There’s a chunky 12-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system too, which was everything I’d expected from that brand.

In that respect, there’s enough tech on offer in the cockpit to satisfy most needs, while at the same time, everything is quite easy to get your head around.

Renault Rafale verdict

The Renault Rafale E-Tech 4×4 300 Atelier Alpine is a decent car, but despite all the tasty trim flourishes and bold sounding powertrain descriptions, it didn’t leave me feeling quite as exhilarated as I’d hoped for.

The other issue is there are quite a lot of other cars that give it a decent run for the money, with other models in the Renault range itself worth considering. It’ll be the looks that will sell it to you – and what looks they are indeed.

Renault Rafale technical specifications

Powertrain	1.2-litre petrol engine, permanent magnet synchronous electric motor
Battery	22kW
Power	298bhp
Torque	367lb ft
0-60mph	6.4sec
Top speed	112mph
Range	600 miles (combined)
Charge rate	kWh
Cargo volume	539 litres