Overview

Sitting at the very top of the range, the Renault Rafale is the brand’s biggest and most expensive car on sale. Well, I say car, it’s actually 4.7 metres of coupe-inspired SUV with the promise of keen handling despite fuel-sipping engines. Power is provided by an all-hybrid powertrain lineup, with either a 200hp self-charging front-driver or a 300hp plug-in with four-wheel drive.

Despite its length, the Rafale is strictly a five-seater unlike key rivals such as the seven-seat Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq. However, the Rafale’s sleek roofline brings to mind premium options like the BMW X4 and Mercedes GLC Coupe. Both are a similar length but cost a five-figure sum more, with the smaller BMW X2 more in the Rafale’s price bracket.

The success of the compact Arkana has shown there’s a real appetite for slinkily-shaped SUVs with appealing monthly costs. To find out how the Rafale stacks up, keep reading for our full review of both the full hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. If you’d like to know how we test, we’ve got a page for that, too.

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What’s it like inside?

Renault has been on form with its interiors of late, and the Rafale is no exception. You’ll find plenty of soft touch plastics, classy trims and switches that work pleasingly, with harder plastics mainly well hidden. While the 12.0-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen controls most functions, there are physical heater controls and buttons on the steering wheel.

The infotainment screen is angled towards the driver and has quick responses and crisp graphics. Some of the menus could be easier to fathom on the move, although overall it’s a good system that pairs well with the similarly hi-res 12.3-inch driver’s display. The four stalks (lights, wipers, gears and stereo) on the steering column look busy at first yet work well with familiarity.

The Rafale’s large footprint helps provide plentiful interior space, with enough room for those in the front to stretch out. Move to the rear, and both leg and headroom are sufficient, even with a panoramic roof fitted. Four six-foot plus adults will be comfortable, and a fifth won’t be too badly catered for, either. Although the central rear seat is a bit flat, there’s only a low hump to contend with in the middle of the floor. More of an issue is the height of that floor, forcing your knees up towards the celiling.

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The central rear armrest is worthy of note, with two USB-C ports, a pair of cupholders, carpeted trays and swivelling smartphone mounts that can hold a phone each or a larger device paired together. Hopefully this should keep kids of all ages occupied on longer journeys.

Practicality impresses on paper, too. There’s a 40/20/40 split fold to the rear seat and Renault quotes a boot volume of 647-litres. We’d take this with a pinch of salt, as this figure includes underfloor storage that gets gobbled up by the optional spare wheel. Still, 535-litres above the boot floor isn’t bad, although we wish there was a variable height boot floor. As it stands, there’s a big loading lip and a step up from the boot floor to the backs of the folded rear seats.

Comfort

The electrically adjustable seats fitted to the test cars I’ve experienced prove comfortable on longer drives and have a decent range of adjustment. That said, only the driver gets adjustable lumbar support which is a little mean. Renault are going big on recycling, with reused Alcantara and other more sustainable materials elsewhere inside.

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Safety

Euro NCAP are yet to get their hands on the Rafale, although results for the related Austral provide some clues to what to expect. The Austral gets five stars if not the highest scores in the class, making it a pretty safe bet.

All versions of the Rafale get plenty of safety kit including adaptive cruise with lane assist, adaptive LED headlights, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and traffic sign recognition.

What’s it like to drive?

Renault makes a big noise about how this is a more dynamic alternative to other big SUVs, and in part it’s right. All but entry-level models get four-wheel steering badged 4Control that boosts agility at low speeds and stability at high speeds. It works well in the less extreme modes, helping the Rafale feel smaller than it is, but ramp it up and there’s a nervousness to the system that dents your confidence.

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It’s not like you get a great sense of connection to the front tyres either, so while there’s plenty of grip, it’s not something you relish driving quickly. The hybrid powertrain doesn’t help here, feeling lazy when you stamp on the throttle and giving performance that’s adequate, but not sporting. The 300hp plug-in hybrid is noticeably faster, but is a bit inconsistent in how much pace you get when you floor it and isn’t any more fun.

Efficiency is impressive, though. CO2 emissions for the full hybrid are just 105-107g/km and according to official figures it’ll do up to 60.1mpg. I nearly matched that figure on slower, urban roads, with the figure dropping to the low 40s when pushing on in the countryside.

Opt for the plug-in hybrid and the emissions drop to as little as 12g/km, putting the Rafale in the 8% BIK company car tax bracket. That’s much better than rivals such as the Ford Kuga PHEV, but it can’t quite match the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid.

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The engine doesn’t always behave how you think it will, though. Sometimes a tiny squeeze of the throttle will loudly fire the engine, whereas other times it’ll take a while to get going despite a flattened pedal. You’re best to drive it smoothly and efficiently where its low noise levels and generally smooth operation impress.

It’s therefore a shame that the Rafale doesn’t ride better. Even with the adaptive suspension of top PHEV models set to Comfort mode, there’s an underlying fidget that can irritate. Pockmarked roads exacerbate this, and larger bumps and dips generate plenty of thuds and thumps. The regular suspension on other models is even harsher, so a bit more compliance would be appreciated.

What models and trims are available?

You’ve a choice of Techno, sportier Techno Esprit Alpine or Iconic Esprit Alpine trims for the hybrid. The PHEV gets the choice of Techno Esprit Alpine or range-topping atelier Alpine trims. Techno will have all the equipment you really need, although you do miss out on the four-wheel steering.