Renault has unveiled the name of its future top-of-the-range coupe SUV: Rafale. Rafale completes the brand’s line-up powered by E-Tech hybrid engines and built on the CMF-CD platform. Following on from the All-new Austral SUV, the All-new Rafale is Renault’s next highlight and will boost its offensive in the D segment.

The name is inspired by Renault’s celebrated past in the air. You have to travel back in time to the early 20th century to see the connection between Renault and aviation. At the time, Renault was a pioneering manufacturer of combustion engines for cars, as well as for trains and planes. In 1933, Renault took over Caudron, another manufacturer, and established Caudron-Renault. All the planes were named after a notable wind. Accordingly, the C460, a single-seater racing plane engineered to break records, was renamed Rafale in 1934.

Renault is reconnecting with its history and harnessing the legendary Caudron Rafale’s features in a new high-end car. The semantics point to wind and capture something about its camouflaged silhouette, which instantly conjures up visions of performance, daring, excitement and character.

All-new Renault Rafale’s world premiere will take place at the 54th Paris Air Show in Le Bourget this 18 June.