What is it?

Renault is taking the SUV class very seriously. Not only does it now offer seven vehicles in this category but it’s aiming high with this car - the Rafale - which not only shares its name with the Caudron C.430 Rafale plane from 1934, but also takes the firm into the D-Segment SUV class that rivals the BMW X4 and Audi Q5 Sportback.

The Rafale comes as standard with an efficient hybrid powertrain that also focuses on providing a sportier driving experience – but does this big Renault deserve to carry a nameplate with pedigree and heritage? We’ve been finding out.

What’s new?

The new car market isn’t short of SUVs nowadays, but the Rafale is a completely new model with lots of standard equipment, sitting at the top of Renault’s model portfolio.

To make the car even better for manoeuvrability, mid-level trims and above feature Reanult’s new 4Control four-wheel-steering allowing for a greater turning circle around town.

Furthermore, you can get the car with an even punchier four-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid variant that delivers up to 65 miles of electric power and features self-adjustable suspension.

What’s under the bonnet?

The standard Rafale has a choice of just one powertrain, a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to an electric motor.

Although that might sound like a rather titchy setup for such a large car, it still produces a total power output of 202bhp and 205Nm of torque. This enables the car to go from 0-60mph in 8.7 seconds and it runs out of puff at 111mph.

Efficiency is also rather low with Renault claiming the car achieving a combined 60.1mpg and CO2 emissions are only 105g/km to make road tax that little bit cheaper.

What’s it like to drive?

The steering in the Rafale is a little vague and is too light to inspire any confidence around the bends and the ride is extremely firm. However, that lightness does mean that the Rafale is a breeze to drive around town.

The 4Control four-wheel-steering does take the strain out of city driving with the car’s turning circle being very tight for such a large car.

How does it look?

The Rafale is guaranteed to turn heads as it comes in a great array of bright colours with our test car finished off in Summit blue with a Diamond black roof – which really makes the car stand out.

At the front, the firm’s new Nouvel’R logo fits neatly into the diamond effect front grille and there are boomerang-style front LED daytime running lights. The car also features gloss black lower body mouldings and wheel arches, plus the swooping roofline flows neatly down to the kick-up styled bootlid.

What’s it like inside?

Jump inside, and things get better with the car’s interior feeling well screwed together with lots of soft-touch materials used throughout.

Our test car features blue carpet linings in the door bins and illuminated Alpine logos in the front seats which change colour depending on the driving mode selected. All cars come equipped with a portrait 12.9-inch infotainment screen with Google Built-in and a 12.3-inch TFT digital instrument cluster.

Space up front is rather impressive with the centre console featuring two cup holders, a split centre armrest with extra storage, large front door bins and a glovebox. But, it’s the space in the back where the Rafale starts to show its true colours with rear seat occupants having tonnes of space – despite the sloping roof line. Plus, our test car features Renault’s ingenious centre armrest which includes two USB-Cs, a further two cup holders and phone holders.

Open the tailgate and you're greeted with a rather large boot capacity of 647 litres – which is 120 litres larger than what you get in a BMW X4. There is a 40:20:40 split configuration for the back seats to allow for greater access. Fold the rear bench down and that space nearly triples to 1,600 litres – making the Rafale almost a class leader when it comes to boot space.

What’s the spec like?

Renault only offers the Rafale hybrid in three different permutations which are Techno, Techno Esprit Alpine and Iconic Esprit Alpine.

All models come very well equipped with the entry-level Techno model coming in at £38,195 and includes 20-inch alloy wheels, a 12.9-inch infotainment screen with Google built-in, DAB radio, dual-zone climate control and keyless entry.

We’re driving the mid-level Techno Esprit Alpine which is priced at £42,195 and boasts the ingenious rear armrests, a head-up display, 4Control four-wheel steering and an electric tailgate.

Go for the flagship Iconic Esprit Alpine at £44,695 and it adds a Solabay glass panoramic sunroof, a premium 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system and hands-free parking.

Verdict

Building, designing and marketing an SUV is very hard in an overcrowded world of jacked-up vehicles. While the driving experience in the Rafale might not be class-leading, it’s good for those around town and, with a hybrid powertrain, it’s a car which could deliver some great fuel savings if driven carefully.

Thankfully, its excellent array of standard equipment, quality feeling interior, commodious rear seat space and boot capacity do mean it has many strengths.