CARS DRAWING INSPIRATION from aircraft are nothing new, but the Renault Rafale has closer ties than many. It's named after the Caudron-Renault Rafale, a 1934 racing plane that resulted from company founder Louis Renault's fascination with aviation and speed.
But will this new coupé SUV fly out of the showrooms or struggle on a wing and a prayer? The Rafale takes on such disparate rivals as the Peugeot 408 and premium BMW X2.
Its sleek lines disguise underpinnings that are shared with Renault's Austral family SUV, including a 197bhp E-Tech hybrid power set-up that combines a 1.2-litre petrol engine with two electric motors and a 2kWh battery. That takes the Rafale from 0-62mph in 8.9sec - half a second slower than the boxier Austral.
The electric motor gets you cleanly off the line before the petrol engine kicks in to propel you up to motorway speeds, but this is no fighter jet. The automatic gearbox doesn't help; it's frustratingly hesitant to drop down a gear when you ask for a burst of power. Those after more performance will want to wait for the 296bhp plug-in hybrid (with four-wheel drive) that's due to arrive towards the end of the year.
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