Cross-coupe Renault Rafale, which is more prestigious than Arkana: official shots

A prototype of this novelty has already been captured by photo spies during road tests in Europe.

The global lineup of the Renault brand so far includes one coupe-shaped crossover – the Arkana. Recall that this SUV is different from the model that was previously produced in the Russian Federation. Now the French company is preparing to expand the range with another cross-coupe – the role will be played by the officially announced Renault Rafale today.

Renault RafalePreviously, there were suggestions that the new kupeobrazny crossover will receive the name Austral Coupe or the Avantime name will be revived for it. However, in the end, Renault decided to “beat” everyone and assigned the name Rafale to the future model. The company explained that it is connected with the aviation past of the manufacturer: this was the name of the single-seat racing aircraft C460, which was introduced back in 1934.

Note that the novelty in the brand hierarchy will be one step higher than Arkana, which means it will be more prestigious and more expensive. By the way, the camouflaged prototype of this crossover has already been caught in the lenses of photo spies during road tests: pictures were published in the middle of last month by Kolesa.ru.

Now the first official footage of Renault Rafale has appeared: the car is hidden behind a layer of camouflage on them. The official premiere of the novelty will be held on June 18 as part of the Paris Aviation Exhibition in Le Bourget. The appearance of the cross-coupe will differ from the «related» Austral. It will get a new style of LED head optics, sculpted fenders and, of course, a sloping roofline. The salon has not yet been shown, but most likely he will share it with Austral.

It is known that the Renault Rafale will be based on the CMF-C/D platform, on which Austral/Espace are also based. Its line will include E-Tech hybrid powertrains, the company has not yet disclosed details about them. Probably, the cross-coupe technology will borrow everything from the same Astral — in Europe it is offered only with electrified systems.

Mild hybrids are based on a 1.2-liter turbocharged engine working in tandem with a 48-volt starter-alternator, as well as a 1.3-liter turbo four with a 12-volt «electronic weight». The first option has a return of 130 hp, only “mechanics” are offered in a pair. The second unit is offered in two power options: 140 hp. with a manual box and 160 hp. – with X-Tronic CVT. The top version is equipped with a full-fledged E-Tech hybrid system with a 1.2 turbo engine and a 1.7 kWh battery; its total power is 200 hp

More details about the new product, obviously, will appear during the official premiere. According to preliminary data, Renault Rafale will go on sale in the European market in 2024.