Renault Rafale vs Peugeot 408: first crossover-coupe match
One is positioned as an SUV-coupe, the other as a sedan-crossover. But between the Renault Rafale and the Peugeot 408, comparisons seem inevitable. Argus therefore offers you a first virtual duel between these two French women with many aesthetic commonalities.It looks like a Peugeot!" Since Renault presented its Rafale at the Paris Air Show, this is a comment that has often been found on the web. Many have judged the style of the new SUV-coupe with the diamond to be too close to that of the Lion's productions. It is in particular to the 408 that it has regularly been compared. But there are nevertheless significant differences between these two models. Even if we will not be able to try the Rafale for several months, we therefore suggest you already discover what separates it from its Sochaux rival.Sharp headlights front and rear, a complex grille design, vertical daytime running lights…. Impossible to deny the aesthetic similarities that exist between these two French women. Especially since they both have a coupe-style profile, with tapered glass surfaces and a fairly horizontal tailgate. These similarities are easily explained when we know that the Rafale is the first Renault whose styling was completely supervised by Gilles Vidal, former Peugeot styling director. For some, this very media designer would therefore have been content to apply the same recipes as before with a new manufacturer...When we look in more detail, there are still significant differences. The latest addition to the Losange, for example, does not give in to the fashion of the strip between the rear lights, a gimmick present on the 408 and increasingly common on recent models. It also adopts a more elaborate lighting signature than its competitor at the front. For the Lion brand, the simple vertical claw is now on the verge of disappearing: the 2008 and 508 have replaced it with a triple claw, which is set to become widespread. However, it is above all in terms of proportions that our two adversaries of the day stand out. But we will see more about this in the following paragraph.
Dimensions: High sedan versus low SUV
As good “crossovers”, the Rafale and 408 attempt to combine the genes of several different categories. But according to their respective manufacturers, they do not quite fit in the same segment, despite a very similar width and length. On the Renault side, everything is quite clear: the expression “SUV-coupé” is used several times in the presentation press release. The Rafale is thus positioned as a big brother of the Arkana, by swapping the CMF-B base of the Captur for the CMF-CD of the Austral and Espace.The 408 is more difficult to classify. It is in fact 13 cm lower than its rival at Losange. The Lionne thus comes closer to the world of sedans, and Peugeot never uses the term SUV-coupe about it. He prefers to describe it as a “dynamic fastback” and evokes a “concept emancipated from current categories”. On paper, this choice is more advantageous in terms of aerodynamics than that of Renault. But we do not yet have the Cx (drag coefficient) figures which would have made it possible to verify this. On the other hand, the technical sheet shows another size difference in terms of the wheelbase. That of the 408 is 5 cm more stretched than that of the Rafale, while the latter is however 2 cm longer in total. The overhangs are therefore more imposing in the Diamond than in the Lion. Interior: two very different visions
Glaring on the outside, the similarities are much more tenuous in the cabin. Each manufacturer has taken care to preserve its respective universe. On the Renault side, we find a presentation quite similar to that of the Austral and Espace , built on the same base and in the same factory in Palencia, Spain. The principle of the two large 12-inch screens arranged in an L shape has therefore been retained. But to offer its “latest” a more upscale positioning, we still note some new features. The Google interface, already among the most efficient on the market, is upgraded to Android 12 to offer even more features and responsiveness. A point to check. The graphics of the digital meters have also been revised, and new sustainable materials are introduced. Like a thin layer of natural slate, original to say the least.On the Peugeot side, the dashboard of the 408 is taken from the 308 , manufactured on the same lines in Mulhouse, in Alsace. The element of surprise is therefore not really present either. However, the whole thing continues to stand out thanks to digital instrumentation perched above a reduced diameter steering wheel. A choice which has always generated mixed opinions, because it requires lowering the steering wheel to clearly see the meters. The latter also adopt 3D technology on the higher finishes. We also find “i-toggles”, customizable shortcuts on the central console.
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