Ranked #243 car in the UK · Coupe SUV · 1,405 units sold last year

Renault Rafale

The Renault Rafale is the brand's flagship coupe-SUV - a sleek, sloping-roofed range-topper built on the Austral's platform, with efficient full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid 4x4 power. It blends striking design with a plush, tech-rich cabin and Renault's smooth E-Tech hybrid system. It's style-and-comfort led rather than sporty despite the coupe looks. As a used buy it's a distinctive, well-equipped flagship for buyers who want a fashionable hybrid crossover with French flair.

Renault Rafale
Photo: © M 93 via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · source
Body
Coupe SUV
Years
2024–2026
Fuel
Hybrid / Plug-in Hybrid
Economy
55 mpg

combined

Insurance
Group 23

The short version

52/100

Forecourt score

Value 70 · Reliability 34 · Insurance 50

The Renault Rafale holds its value well and is cheaper to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is good, 70 out of 100, ahead of 34% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 70% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20). Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Hybrid · 1199cc

Power

200 ps

Drivetrain

FWD

Cam drive

Chain

Quoted MPG

50 mpg

The volume Rafale (new fastback SUV, 2024-). 1.2 three-cylinder E-Tech hybrid, 200 PS, ~50 mpg. Renault's electric-feeling hybrid system. Chain-driven.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

2024
20242026
15,600 mi
0Expected: 15,600180k
good
PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

How we got this number — click for the breakdown, or to challenge it.

£25,100

Range £19,700£31,050

medium confidence

When new (2024)£42,000Age-based value£31,080Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£8Market calibration-£4,372Forecourt price£26,700Private sale£23,550Part-exchange£20,700

The depreciation curve

How a 2024-registration Renault Rafale loses value over time.

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2024 car with 15,600 miles you entered above — worth about £25,100 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 7,800 miles a year.

5-year total

£16,610

Per year

£3,322

All-in per mile

£0.43

Fuel per mile

12.7p

If a company carAround £429/mo Benefit-in-Kind tax at the 40% rate (£215/mo at 20%) — 28% band

Depreciation£3,570
Fuel / energy£4,940
Servicing£1,765
Road tax£975
Insurance£5,360

If you're a company-car driver

At 28% BIK, a 40% taxpayer would pay about £429/month in company-car tax (£215/month at 20%) — on top of the running costs above. Full BIK table below for context.

Best age to buy — around 3 years

A 3-year-old example loses roughly £3,300 a year — under half the £7,300 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 70%
Reliabilitybetter than 34%
Fuel economybetter than 91%
Cheap to insurebetter than 50%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

Petrol

The default choice: lowest purchase price and easy upkeep, at the cost of higher fuel bills than a hybrid.

New price
£40,000
Annual fuel / energy
£1,015
3-yr depreciation
47%

Watch for

  • ·Carbon build-up on direct-injection engines
  • ·Ignition coils and spark plugs with age
  • ·Cam or wet-belt service where fitted

Diesel

Makes sense for high motorway mileage; less so for short urban hops, where the DPF struggles.

New price
£42,800
Annual fuel / energy
£1,002
3-yr depreciation
50%

Watch for

  • ·DPF clogging on mostly-short journeys
  • ·EGR valve and turbo wear with mileage
  • ·AdBlue system upkeep on newer engines

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 22/06/2026) · Petrol 153.3p/L, Diesel 172.5p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 22 of 50 (mid — around the UK average) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

3 years
0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+
Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£1,072/ year

Roughly £89 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.
Age bandLower riskTypicalHigher risk
Age 17-25£2,444£3,055£3,972
Age 26-32£1,276£1,501£1,831
Age 33-39Selected£943£1,072£1,265
Age 40-49£801£890£1,032
Age 50+£714£793£936

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

7,800 mi/yr
2,000UK avg for this model: 7,80030,000

Routine service

£185

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£210

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£195

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£1,057

55 mpg, £1.49/L

Insurance

£1,072

Age 33-39, group 23

Clean-air zones

Depends on variant

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,719 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£80

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£240

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£520

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£900

per year · high risk

Tyres

215/65 R17 · 235/55 R18 · 235/50 R19

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£400

set of 4, fitted · £85 per tyre

Mid-range

£580

set of 4, fitted · £130 per tyre

Premium

£840

set of 4, fitted · £195 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

OptionNew costAdded used valueReturn

Tow bar (factory-fit)

Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.

£650£45069%

Parking sensors & reversing camera

Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.

£500£30060%

Heated seats / cold-weather pack

£450£20044%

Metallic or premium paint

Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.

£600£20033%

Panoramic / opening roof

£1,100£35032%

Larger alloy wheels

£700£20029%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 15,600 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

12V batteryUpcoming

Typical at 40k-70kCost £100-£180low severityParts high

General wear item — not a model-specific fault.

Brake discs & padsUpcoming

Typical at 35k-60kCost £250-£500 per axlelow severityParts high

General wear item — not a model-specific fault.

Suspension bushes & drop linksUpcoming

Typical at 60k-100kCost £150-£400medium severityParts high

General wear item — not a model-specific fault.

Exhaust & emissions componentsUpcoming

Typical at 70k-110kCost £200-£700medium severityParts high

General wear item — not a model-specific fault.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

Safety rating

Euro NCAP's independent crash-test rating for the Renault Rafale, from its 2022 assessment.

5/5
TEST YEAR2022
Rating expired (test protocol superseded)

The passenger compartment of the Rafale remained stable in the frontal offset test.

Independent crash-test data from Euro NCAP. Star ratings reflect the test protocol of the year shown — newer protocols are stricter, so a 5-star from 2024 represents a higher bar than a 5-star from 2014.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 2,422 real DVSA test records.

Longevity

Not enough older examples yet to gauge longevity.

Reliability

70/ 100

Good

No usable MOT data — estimated score.

MOT outlook

Insufficient MOT history at this car's reference age — too few tests to compute a reliable percentile.

Things owners say

  • 01The full-hybrid is smooth and frugal; the plug-in hybrid 4x4 adds pace and low-BIK electric range.
  • 02Striking coupe-SUV styling and a plush cabin are the draw - it's a comfortable cruiser, not a sports SUV.
  • 03Shares its platform with the Austral; the coupe roof trims rear headroom slightly - check it suits.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Renault Rafale, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Higher

Desirable SUVs like this are relay-theft targets — keyless entry can be exploited from the driveway in under a minute.

Parts theft

Higher

Hybrid versions are a catalytic-converter target — a hybrid cat is rich in precious metals and can be cut out in about a minute.

Worth doing

  • Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
  • A catalytic-converter guard or forensic marking makes a hybrid far less appealing to cut.
  • A visible steering lock is a cheap, strong deterrent on a frequently-targeted car.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Renault Rafale into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

CityAreaDaily chargeLikely outcome
LondonAll of Greater London (within the M25)£12.50
Likely exempt
Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
BirminghamInside the A4540 Middleway£8.00
Likely exempt
Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
BristolCity centre and part of the Portway£9.00
Likely exempt
Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
GlasgowCity centre
Likely exempt
Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
EdinburghCity centre
Likely exempt
Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
AberdeenCity centre
Likely exempt
Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
DundeeCity centre
Likely exempt
Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.

Zones that don't charge private cars

  • BathCity centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
  • BradfordOuter ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
  • SheffieldInside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
  • Newcastle & GatesheadCity centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
  • PortsmouthPart of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Company car tax

What HMRC's Benefit-in-Kind charge looks like if you ran this Renault Rafale as a company car, by tax year and income-tax band. Calculated from a CO₂ of 117 g/km and a WLTP electric range of 65 miles, using £46,000 as the P11D value.

Tax yearBIK %Tax @ 20%Tax @ 40%Monthly @ 20%Monthly @ 40%
2025-2628%£2,576£5,152£215£429
2026-2729%£2,668£5,336£222£445
2027-2830%£2,760£5,520£230£460
2028-2930%£2,760£5,520£230£460
2029-3030%£2,760£5,520£230£460

P11D value is approximated from the latest new price; the exact figure on your tax code will depend on options fitted. The 4% diesel surcharge applies only to non-RDE2 (pre-2021) diesels — we assume RDE2 compliance for current models. Bands and rates from HMRC's Autumn Budget 2024 confirmation through 2029/30.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Renault is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~140

Large network

Mass-market

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Renault is 3.1% of all franchised outlets)

Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

Length

4,600 mm

Width

1,880 mm

Height

1,650 mm

Kerb weight

1,750 kg

Boot

500–1,600 L

Fuel tank

60 L

How many are still out there

Of every Renault Rafale ever registered in the UK, this is what's actively on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, or gone for good.

Total ever registered

1,888

Currently taxed & on road

1,841

98% of all registered

SORN (off road)

47

2% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

0

UK fleet trend — 2024 to 2025

+224.7% vs 2024
5671,841

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 1 Jul 2026

Common questions

Renault Rafale, answered

Is the Renault Rafale ULEZ compliant?
Whether a Renault Rafale is ULEZ compliant depends on its engine and registration date: petrol from 2006 and diesel from September 2015 generally qualify, and electric versions are always exempt.
What insurance group is the Renault Rafale in?
The Renault Rafale sits in insurance group 22 of 50. Your actual premium still depends on age, postcode, annual mileage and no-claims history.
Is the Renault Rafale reliable?
Our reliability score for the Renault Rafale is 70 out of 100 (good), derived from DVSA MOT records.
What economy does the Renault Rafale get?
Expect roughly around 55 mpg combined for a typical Renault Rafale, based on official figures and our running-cost model. Real-world figures vary with driving style, load and conditions.
What are the common problems on the Renault Rafale?
On the Renault Rafale, the issues that come up most by mileage include 12V battery, Brake discs & pads and Suspension bushes & drop links. The section above breaks down each one with its typical mileage, repair cost and severity.
How many Renault Rafales are on UK roads?
About 1,841 Renault Rafales are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Same underpinnings

Built on the Renault CMF-C/D platform

Larger CMF for compact-to-mid-size cars. Shared with Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail family. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

Common Module Family C/D · Renault-Nissan Alliance

Common questions

Renault Rafale, answered from the data

Is the Renault Rafale reliable?
The Renault Rafale scores 70/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure. That is computed from 2,422 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Renault Rafale cost?
A 2024 Renault Rafale with around 15,600 miles is worth roughly £25,100 today (typical range £21,050–£29,200). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Renault Rafale depreciate?
A new Renault Rafale typically loses about 36% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Renault Rafale?
The Renault Rafale sits in insurance group 22 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Renault Rafale?
The most common age-related issues we track for the Renault Rafale are: 12v battery (typically around 40k-70k, £100-£180 to put right); brake discs & pads (typically around 35k-60k, £250-£500 per axle to put right); suspension bushes & drop links (typically around 60k-100k, £150-£400 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Renault Rafale cost to run?
Expect around 55 mpg combined, £195 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.

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