Renault Rafale it was revealed last year. Until now, the French manufacturer’s SUV was only offered with a 200 HP Full Hybrid engine. Now, there is interesting news because the car manufacturer has announced that it has expanded the SUV range with the launch of the Rafale E-Tech 4×4 300 HP.
This model can count on a Plug-in hybrid powertrain and on all-wheel drive thanks to the presence of an electric motor on the rear axle. Marketing will start in autumn. At the moment there is still no information regarding the Italian market.
100 KM BY ELECTRIC
The biggest innovation of this model is the new Plug-in powertrain based on the 200 HP E-Tech engine. In fact, we always find the 1.2 liter 3-cylinder engine whose power rose to 110 kW or 150 HP (compared to 96 kW or 130 HP of the 200 HP E-Tech version) thanks to a new turbocharger. The torque is 230 Nm.
The endothermic unit is combined with three electric motors (two main ones that offer traction and one that acts as a starter-generator). In detail, we have an electric unit with 50 kW (70 HP) and 205 Nm of torque on the front axle. On the rear axle, however, there is a 100 kW (136 HP) engine and 195 Nm of torque. Then there is the HSG (High-voltage Starter Generator) which develops 25 kW (34 HP) and 50 Nm of torque. Overall, the SUV it can count on 300 HP. Then we have the well known multimode transmission which provides two ratios for the main electric motor and four ratios for the combustion engine for a total of 15 possible combinations.
In terms of performance, Renault Rafale E-Tech 4×4 300 HP accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds. The electric units are powered by a battery with a capacity of 22 kWh able to allow an electric range of approximately 100 km (WLTP). The battery can be recharged in alternating current up to a power of 7.4 kW.
The car offers the Hybrid, Electric driving modes (to force electric-only mode) and E-save (to use the internal combustion engine to recharge the battery to at least 25% before arriving in an area where only electric traction is used). If the battery charge is sufficient, the SUV always starts in electric mode (160 HP available and maximum speed of 135 km/h).
For this model, Renault declares a WLTP consumption of 0.7 liters per 100 km and emissions of 15 g/km of CO2 with a full battery and 5.8 liters per 100 km and 132 g/km of CO2 with a discharged battery. With a charged battery and a full tank of petrol it is possible to travel up to 1,000 km according to the manufacturer.
Traction per axle is automatically managed by the E-Tech system based on the driving conditions and the mode selected via the MULTI-SENSE settings. Torque distribution can instantly vary from 100% to the front wheels (front-wheel drive) to 100% to the rear wheels (rear-wheel drive). In general, front-wheel drive is preferable up to 70 km/h, while after that you switch to rear-wheel drive. There is also a steering rear axle.
ALPINE ATELIER SETUP
In addition to the Esprit Alpine trim, Rafale E-Tech 4×4 300 HP it is available in the new Atelier Alpine version. It stands out from the rest of the range for its Satin Deepsky Blue colour, the Etoilé Black floating spoiler and the specific 21-inch “Chicane” wheels with Continental tyres.
From a technical point of view, we find specific tuning for the shock absorbers, springs, stabilizer bars and more. The Chassis Control menu specific to Rafale Atelier Alpine appears on the multimedia display, offering the driver the possibility of setting the parameters of the 4Control Advanced system, the shock absorber adjustments and the rear steering angles according to three modes: Comfort, Dynamic and Sport.
