Board the new Renault Rafale

With its elevated fastback SUV coupe bodywork, the Renault Rafale plays on the sporty note. At the expense of interior space?

The interior of the Renault Rafale features the dual OpenR screen and is equipped with Solarbay tinted glass roof. It offers new specific seats, a highly technological rear passenger armrest, and a wide range of colors and materials. The driving position appears immediately very driver-centric, with all screens facing the driver, who is the true master on board, and a very substantial center console. A cockpit dedicated to driving pleasure, but is the Rafale faithful to Renault’s DNA by pampering every passenger?

The highlight of the latest Renault models is of course the panoramic tinted glass roof Solarbay, measuring 1,470 by 1,117 mm. It uses “AmpliSky” technology based on molecular movement induced by an electric field. By enabling on-demand opacity across the nine segments covering the glass roof surface, the system provides maximum and almost immediate sun protection, without a fabric canopy. This results in weight savings and especially height under the ceiling. This intelligent glass roof can be voice-controlled via Google Assistant or operated by a button located near the ceiling light.

The two sporty front seats offer particularly refined support. They are covered in recycled Alcantara up to 61%. A charming detail: on the Esprit Alpine and Atelier Alpine versions, Alcantara reveals a lit arrow “A” that beats in time with the human heartbeat. It’s purely decorative, but we love it. The TEP, or textured coated fabric, which feels very similar to leather, allowed Renault to avoid using any animal-derived materials.

Thanks to its long 2.74-meter wheelbase, shared with the Espace platform, the Rafale provides rear passengers with excellent knee room of 302 mm. The gently sloping roofline does not compromise headroom, which measures 880 mm, nearly the same as the Espace (892 mm). Built on a hybrid thermal architecture, it unfortunately does not feature the flat floor typical of electric vehicles, but the tunnel is sufficiently narrow to avoid being too obstructive. For luggage, the Rafale offers a boot volume of 627 liters.

The Rafale features the “ingenius” rear armrest dedicated entirely to multimedia activities. This high-tech armrest has two USB ports, storage spaces suitable for tablets and smartphones, and two deployable supports for comfortably viewing these screens.

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