With the Arkana (also known as the Megane Conquest in some markets) launched in 2019, Renault was among the first mainstream automakers to hop on the coupe-SUV bandwagon. It's getting a bigger brother as the French brand has announced a new D-segment model will also attempt to combine a coupe and an SUV to create a swoopy high-riding vehicle. Contrary to reports speculating it would revive the "Avantime" moniker, it's going to be named "Rafale."
The moniker has been used before, but not on a car. In 1934, a year after the company with the diamond logo purchased aircraft company Caudron, the newly founded Caudron-Renault renamed the C460 racing plane the Rafale after a notable wind. The nameplate is technically already being used since the Megane E-Tech Electric can be painted in Rafale Grey.
