Ditching the Deutsche

In an already crowded market, can the Renault Rafale E-Tech be the SUV that stands out? Sean O'Grady finds that even 'little puffs of wind' can breathe new life into familiar designs

- Sean O'Grady

Renault Rafale, then. Yet another SUV. This time it’s a conventional full hybrid with pronounced coupe styling, a very contemporary crisp sort of look, lots of piano black exterior trim and, as ever in the class, great big allow wheels. As we all know, there is a plethora of SUVs to choose from these days, from Alfa Romeo to Rolls Royce to Lotus. No one would argue we need yet another one to clog up the roads and shoehorn into a parking space.

So the question is, if this big new Renault didn’t exist, would you need to invent it?

On balance, I’d say yes. Competition, after all, is good because it means that consumers can get a better deal, and because it encourages manufacturers to innovate. Here I have to concede that the Renault Rafale, in truth, isn’t a terribly different-looking design. It’s pretty generic, in fact, and highly reminiscent of products from its fellow French marques, the Peugeot 3008/5008 (old and new versions), and the seldom seen Citroen C5 X.

It’s chunky at the front, with the fashionable “premium” style grille, highly-styled LED lights, high-waisted from the side, and boasts a pronounced “bustle” at the rear. It’s not distinctive but it’s not bad looking either.