Renault's upcoming coupe SUV named ‘Rafale’, to make global debut on June 18
The SUV's name, said Renault in a press statement, is inspired by the company's history as an aircraft engine manufacturer in the 1930s.
French auto giant Renault has revealed the name of its upcoming top-of-the-range coupe SUV, saying in a press release on Tuesday that the car will be called ‘Rafale.’
Rafale, incidentally, is also the name of the very well-known fighter jet which, like the soon-to-be-launched car, is designed and developed by a French manufacturer: Dassault Aviation.
Why the name ‘Rafale’?
According to Renault, the name ‘Rafale’ pays tribute to the company's history as an aircraft engine manufacturer, dating back to the 1930s. At the time, the automaker was a ‘pioneering manufacturer’ of combustion engines for cars, trains, and aircraft.
In 1933, it acquired fellow manufacturer Caudron, and established Caudron-Renault. Subsequently, it began naming planes after winds; accordingly, in 1934, C460, a single-seater plane designed to break records, got the name ‘Rafale’ (literal meaning in French: a gust of wind).
Renault Rafale: Features
The new high-end SUV is built on CMF-CD platform, and completes Renault's line-up of models that are powered by E-tech hybrid engines. It will ‘harness’ the Caudron Rafale's features, according to the manufacturer.
Renault Rafale: Debut
To be positioned in the D-segment (primarily mid-size sedans; vehicle length more than 4,600 mm), it will make its global debut on June 18, at the 54th Paris Air Show in Le Bourget.
