Renault Rafale SUV (2024 - ) review

Even Renault seems a little confused as to where the Rafale sits in the vast and bewildering crossover and SUV market, saying it’s priced to compete with the likes of the BMW X2 but has the size and premium ambitions to rival the X4. And that’s just one example, the more obvious comparisons being with similarly styled (and spacious) French coupe crossovers like the Peugeot 408 or Citroën C5 X. These look more affordable for the fact they still offer non-hybrid options, the Rafale’s part-electrified powertrain meaning a higher starting price but, Renault would claim, more attractive running costs for the savings in fuel, tax and more. Whether that plays out will require some number crunching based on your particular circumstances, the full plug-in hybrid option looking especially attractive for company drivers given the reduced Benefit In Kind costs scored by its lower CO2 rating. This joins the range later in the year and if you’re holding out for the more affordable Techno entry model you’ll have to wait a little longer as well, the first batch of Rafales all being the more expensive trim levels. The Scenic meanwhile caters to those who want an all-electric Renault.

The legacy of previous reliability wobbles still hangs over Renault but, as with other French brands, quality has improved a great deal in recent years. And while the Rafale is a new car it’s built on proven hybrid tech Renault and Dacia already uses across a huge number of different cars, so if there were any significant issues we’d likely have heard about them by now. For all that given many rivals offer longer guarantees – up to 10 years with a Toyota RAV4 if you commit to main dealer servicing, for example – we’d have liked to see more than just the standard three-year warranty.

A pragmatic combination of sophisticated driver assistance tech … and an easy-to-reach button to quickly disable some of the more intrusive bongs and interventions is a winner in our book. Saying that, Renault’s lane-keeping seems less annoying than many in the business, suggesting its tech game is strong at the moment. Depending on the trim level there are up to 32 support systems apparently keeping you safe, the ability to configure them and select the ones you want via that single button a neat touch. Or you can just leave it be and have everything on. This includes the usual stuff of automated emergency braking, lane keeping and more, even the base model getting parking sensors all round and a reversing camera plus adaptive cruise control that can bring you to a halt and then pull away automatically in stop-start motorway traffic. Going up a trim level upgrades this to include lane centring while the top model we drove adds an all-round camera view and automated parking. Which is welcome given, like many of its type, the tall bodywork means parking hazards like bollards and similar will be concealed beneath the windowline.

Given how many SUV and crossover style vehicles Renault makes it can be a little difficult to figure out where the Rafale sits, but the short version is it sits at the top and above the Austral and Arkana for size, space and status. In real terms that means a confidence inspiring seating position for driver and front-seat passenger buyers and tons of legroom in the back. Impressively given the swoopy roofline there’s even proper headroom, to the extent a six-foot passenger can sit behind a six-foot driver in total comfort, with plenty of space to stretch out. To be fair the ‘Solarbay’ glass roof on our top spec test car probably helped on that score, nifty LCD panels able to blank sections out if you prefer shade to a view of the sky in place of a physical blind. The ‘Ingenius’ rear arm rest is another neat feature and standard on all but the base trim, this opening to reveal both cupholders and extendable brackets to hold a tablet or phone to keep rear seat passengers quiet on longer journeys. There’s even space within the armrest to stash headphones, and a couple of USB-C sockets for charging. A huge boot seals the Rafale’s credentials as a family friendly vehicle, there being space for pushchairs, bikes or enough luggage for the annual summer holiday. The only possible black spot is the ride quality, which is impressively composed through corners on twisty country roads but, like many tall crossover style vehicles, harsh over speed bumps, potholes and other urban obstacles. The standard 20-inch wheels are partly to blame here as well – they may be key to the Rafale’s sporty aesthetics but the thin tyres mean very little give over sharper bumps. The unexpectedly sporty handling is all very well but the wafty ride quality of the equivalent Citroën C5 X perhaps feels more appropriate for a car of this style.

A base Techno trim will join the range in due course but for now the choice is between Techno Esprit Alpine or Iconic Esprit Alpine, both well-equipped and packed with features and tech. These gain things like clever all-wheel steering to give the Rafale a turning circle as tight as that of a Clio, the Ingenius rear armrest, a driver’s head-up display, power tailgate, sporty Alpine trimmings and, on the Iconic, the clever Solarbay roof. Standard on all Rafales, the combined digital instruments and vertically-oriented central screen feature crisp, stylish graphics and a relatively fuss-free and logical menu system. Although powered by Google and fully integrated with Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Google Play app store there’s still support for Apple users, our iPhone pairing wirelessly without fuss. The whole arrangement is more neatly integrated into the interior than on many rivals, though the big chrome handle on the central cubby is easily mistaken for a gear selector, this being on a stalk behind the steering wheel. Part-recycled Alcantara, slate and cork tick the boxes for both style and sustainability and the whole thing feels screwed together with the quality you’d expect of the price.

All Rafales will be hybrids to varying degrees, the cars we drove combining a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine and electric motor for a combined total of 200 horsepower. The battery is enough to do as much as 80 per cent of town driving without firing up the petrol engine according to Renault’s claims, charging from the engine or under regenerative braking controllable via paddles behind the wheel to a level where you barely need to use the brakes in stop-start traffic. No fuss, no need to plug in, just crack on and let the car figure it out. Out of town and on a relatively spirited cross-country drive we meanwhile got nearly 50mpg, various driving modes letting you configure everything up to and including how agile the car feels through adjustments to the four-wheel steering, where fitted. Our only complaint was the gearbox, which has been tuned for economy but too often bogs down when you were expecting a keener response to the throttle. It’s fine around town where the electric motor gets you off the line smartly but if you go for an overtake on faster roads and expect the same kind of acceleration it can leave you hanging. Something we’ll hope will be addressed when the more powerful plug-in hybrid version arrives in due course. With 300 horsepower, a bigger battery, an additional rear motor for all-wheel drive traction and ability to go 60 miles or so on electric power alone it promises extra punch and a greater degree of electrification.