Renault Rafale gets 300hp Atelier Alpine version

If the new Renault Rafale has passed you by, don’t worry – it’s considered Renault’s flagship coupe-SUV, but on the basis that it’s a fairly modest front-drive hybrid and is distinctly underwhelming to look at, there’s no reason it would’ve popped up on your radar. Until now that is, with the introduction of the Rafale E-Tech 4×4 300 hp. Clearly Renault is trying to cover a lot of ground with that name, yet it misses out on the important bit from a PH perspective because here, finally, is a mainstream model that is said to have benefitted from ‘the support of the experts from the Alpine brand’. 

Indeed, the uprated ‘Atelier Alpine’ version is said to push ‘the boundaries of excellence still further in terms of sheer driving pleasure’ as it benefits not just from the additional power – which introduces a new rear-mounted electric motor to deliver adaptive all-wheel drive – but gets a new active suspension system and a wholesale recalibration of its chassis components, including the four-wheel steering system. This is obviously significant when you consider what has resulted in previous years when Renault Sport was given free rein to develop its own ‘dampers, springs, jounce bumpers [and] front and rear anti-roll bars’. 

For now, Renault doesn’t go into detail on how the self-adjusting suspension system works, although with a camera mounted at the top of the windscreen, it’s evidently the sort of predictive setup that aims to adjust the damping to best suit the road surface directly ahead. At any rate, the Atelier Alpine gets its own Chassis Control modes, with Comfort, Dynamic and Sport said to reflect Dieppe’s opinion of what the damping profile and rear-wheel steering angles should look like – an opinion that usually proves spot on in the real world. 

Obviously you’ll still need to make peace with buying a hybridised 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine, although Renault says this has a new turbocharger to achieve an upgraded 150hp output. Combined with the existing 70hp front-mounted electric motor and the 136hp one now permanently connected to the rear axle, the manufacturer says you’ll get a maximum system output of 300hp, which translates into a 0-to-62mph time of 6.4 seconds (compared with 8.9 seconds for 200hp E-Tech Hybrid). 

So it’ll be brisk, at least. And very mildly better looking thanks to ‘Satin Summit Blue bodywork, a Starry Black floating spoiler, and special 21-inch ‘Chicane’ wheels with Continental tyres’. Although with the interior gaining nothing fancier than ‘mats in the iconic blue of the arrowed A logo’ it’s probably safe to assume that all the developmental budget has been spent underneath. You won’t find us complaining about that – and nor are prospective buyers likely to sniff at the 62 miles of all-electric WLTP-rated range you get from 22kWh battery, or the 621 miles of total range Renault reckons the car will cover when 100 per cent charge is combined with a full tank of petrol. 

A more affordable Esprit Alpine trim will sit under the Atelier when the Rafale goes on sale, although Renault has declined to provide any starting prices at this stage; it promises to rectify that next month ahead of first availability in the autumn. With any luck, by that stage we might have sneaked behind the wheel to see if Alpine has managed to weave the old Renault Sport magic that it was previously famous for. Here’s hoping, eh…