Renault has announced that it will release a D-class SUV that will bear the name of the famous fighter: Rafale. The large SUV will be a hybrid and, most likely, will become the most expensive model in the French manufacturer’s line. In the 1930s, Renault bought an aeronautical company that built a small racing plane called the Rafale. Currently, this name is used by a well-known Dassault fighter.

“Renault reveals the name of its next-generation coupe SUV: Rafale. It completes the family of models with E-Tech hybrid engines on the CMF-CD platform. After the Austral and the Espace, the Rafale is positioned as the new flagship of Renault’s model range and marks the brand’s foray into the D segment,” says Renault.

The choice of name is inspired by Renault’s past in the aviation industry. In 1933, Renault bought the manufacturer Caudron to create the Caudron-Renault company. As all aircraft were named after strong winds, the C460, a single-seat racing aircraft designed to set records, was accordingly renamed the Rafale in 1934.

The Rafale SUV will be based on the CMF-CD platform, on which the Austral model was built, and the French press wrote that the car will be over 4.70 meters long.

The world premiere of the new Renault Rafale will take place on June 18 at the 54th International Aerospace Salon in Le Bourget.