Renault 25: Forty Years Ago, It Could Have Been the First Rafale

In the autumn of 1978, Renault had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five months earlier with the A442B driven by Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Didier Pironi. Somewhere in France, the head of Renault Sports steps out of an Opel Senator.

Beside him, a BMW 5 Series and a Peugeot 604. It's no coincidence: Larrousse has assembled a small team to test a series of sedans and convey their impressions to Renault's product department, in order to draft the specifications for a new model.

Meanwhile, Marc Deschamps creates the first model, but its size is deemed excessive: five meters long. Although rejected, it determines the general concept of a very special future Renault.

While it could appear in the brand's catalog as

the successor, the continuation of the 20 and 30, it was actually more of a starting point. It was the anticipated "great Renault," the model with which the Régie sought to enter the high-end category, in the territory of, among others, Mercedes or BMW, a challenging goal given the strong position and brand image of these competitors.

Renault's stylists started from a blank slate, without the constraints of a utility, small, or mid-range model, but were obliged to create a car with a strong personality, one that would not go unnoticed, that would escape stereotypes. Something different from Citroën's avant-garde, Peugeot's seriousness, or Mercedes' strength. It had to be distinct, original, but also had to appeal to a high-end clientele: a complicated challenge for a design department, for a duo formed by the revolutionary Gaston Juchet, who in the 1960s had imposed a style where practicality prevailed (R4, R16...) and was now immersed in aerodynamics (Eve, Vesta prototypes), faced with Robert Opron, head of the "Centre Style."

But the development is very complicated. There was a long struggle between Juchet's projects and those of Jean-François Venet, an internal competitor from Jacques Nocher's advanced design studio, who had the support of Opron. This talented designer (1946-2015) had joined the design studio in 1977, replacing Marc Deschamps, who had taken over the design direction at Bertone. At that time, Venet was working on an aerodynamic sedan project. He designed his proposals under the name "Rafale" project, but finally, after many months of work and several tests, Bernard Hanon (Renault's general manager), despite Opron's pressures, opted for Juchet's proposal with his Bicaero, a decision that marked the start of project 129, the car we know as the R 25.

Neither "two-box" nor "three-box." The 25, compared to the classic trunk of the Mercedes W123, BMW 5, Audi 100, Opel Senator, or Alfa Romeo 75 sedans, or the aerodynamic proposals following the lines set by Pininfarina, such as the Citroen CX or the Rover 3500, presents an original profile, with a rear part featuring a glass "bubble" integral to the hatch, along with four side windows. In terms of proportions, it is also unique with a long wheelbase and a very long front overhang, contrasted by a short rear.

The interior is signed by Marcello Gandini, the former head of design at Bertone. Under a spectacular visor, the instrument panel (speedometer and tachometer) and a set of controls that can be easily operated by hand, all inclined. The computer information is displayed on a small liquid crystal digital screen "very visible and very precise," according to reports of the time. The central console houses the "Hi-Fi" system.

The extensive equipment also became the key weapon to compete with the Germans, who were quite stingy in this aspect at the time. The customer had to get a good value for money, and Renault therefore offered (depending on the finishes) remote central locking, 4 electric windows, as well as mirrors or seats, the on-board computer, the 4×20 watt hi-fi system, and the famous voice synthesis system that today gives the car all its charm but at the time scared more than one user: hearing a voice in the 80s suddenly reminding us that we had left the lights on...

The Renault 25 remained faithful to front-wheel drive, a sign of modernity at that time. One had to be very sporty to prefer propulsion, and while today the vision has changed, in its day it was still archaic. The 505, which remained in this old world, paid dearly compared to the 25 with its exemplary road behavior. The very refined design of the 25 also allowed it to achieve (especially in its lower-end versions) a record Cx, allowing for reduced consumption, an important issue at that time after the two oil crises of the 1970s.

The launch took place in 1984 with an already complete range. Essentially, with three engines available: the "Douvrin" 4-cylinder with carburetor, 2 liters, 8 valves, and 103 hp (TS and GTS), then a 2.2-liter injection with 8 valves and 123 hp (GTX), and finally the V6 injection 2.7 liters 12 valves with 144 horsepower; In diesel, the atmospheric 2.1-liter engine with 8 valves and 64 hp powered the TD and GTD, while the same engine equipped with a Turbo developing 84 hp equipped the Turbo D and Turbo DX.

The following year, a collaboration with coachbuilder Heuliez was signed to produce the R25 Limousine, a version with a wheelbase extended by 23 cm and equipped with individual and electric rear seats. It is available with V6 and Turbo D engines. During the year, the top version of the Renault R25, the V6 Turbo, was presented. Under the hood, the 2.5 l PRV V6, boosted with a Garrett turbo, delivers 182 hp. The very complete equipment (leather upholstery, alloy wheels...) and the specific front (chrome grille) distinguish it from the rest of the range. It is worth noting that the Limousine version is also available with this new engine.

Only 832 units were made, and in 1986, the Limousine version disappeared from the catalog. That same year, the special GTX-ABS series was introduced, which, as its name suggests, came standard with anti-lock brakes. For 1987, the new TX incorporates a 2.0 gasoline engine with 120 hp. In 1988, the GTX underwent modifications and saw its power increased to 126 hp. And the V6 increased displacement to 2.8 liters and power to 160 hp. The same grille as the V6 Turbo was also incorporated. In the GTS, TX, and GTX trims, an original Bosch ABS was available as an option.

By 1988, the R25 underwent a significant redesign. The completely new front sees its overhang increased by 25 mm, the rear receives soft smoked lights, the side moldings are new, and the range of hubcaps and alloy wheels evolves. The interior receives new upholstery and a new steering wheel. The range remains unchanged, but the standard equipment improves. A four-speed automatic transmission is now available as an option on the GTX and V6 models.

After this year full of changes, 1989 saw the appearance of the special Auteuil and Camargue series and the new TXI trim. It uses the TX engine but with a three-valve head and develops 140 hp.

During the year, the V6 Baccara was launched, a luxury version receiving a specific interior and exterior presentation clearly oriented towards the high-end range. Initiated by the Supercinco Baccara, it would triumph in the Clio Baccara, and then be seen in the 19, the 21, Laguna, or the Safrane, before the Baccarat glass factory legally put an end to it, leading to the creation of the Initiale label.

In 1990, a catalyst was installed in the TXI and V6 versions, resulting in a power drop (136 hp for the TXI and 153 hp for the V6). The V6 Turbo version would receive a major update with new camshafts and revised electronic management, reaching 205 hp, and recognizable by its exclusive BBS wheels. The TX trim gives way to the new TI trim. And 1991 would be the last full year of R25 production with a simplified range in two parts (Luxury and Comfort) and the presentation of several special series (Beverly, Méribel, Courchevel, and Olympique). The Baccara trim is now available on the V6 Turbo, while the V6 and V6 Turbo can optionally receive a controlled suspension with three settings (Soft, Normal, and Sport). Finally, after the presentation of the Safrane, on February 17, 1992, the last Renault 25 rolled off the production lines at the Renault factory in Sandouville. Thus, 1992 will be the last year the R25 will be in the catalog.

With a production of 780,976 units, the R25 continued to achieve great success despite some problems in the early years. It allowed Renault to remain in the challenging category of road cars and would be replaced by an equally ambitious but more modern and better-built Safrane, albeit with less personality.

Half a century after that "Rafale" project to replace the 25, Renault revived this aeronautical name to christen a new flagship of the brand, a successor through time to the 25. If in 1983, Renault took a risk with an original sedan, neither three-box nor two-box, now it has been more conservative, opting for a Coupe SUV, a type of body very much in vogue in our times.

In any case, the Rafale is impressive in its forms and with its 4.71 meters in length (one centimeter shorter than the Espace, but 20 cm longer than the Austral and with 7 centimeters more wheelbase) and shows the current stylistic language of the diamond, with its complex light signatures and relief motifs on the grille. Inside, behind a design taken from the Austral, the Rafale has its own aspects. To compensate for the abandonment of natural leather, it benefits from a thin layer of slate located in front of the front passenger in this Esprit Alpine trim. If we look back, we discover the silhouette of a Caudron-Renault plane engraved on the rear of the glass roof. As for the seats, revised to offer greater lateral support, they incorporate the stylized A of Alpine backlit by diodes.

All these refinements enhance the level of this interior where, before our eyes, appear two "L"-shaped screens: a horizontal one of 321 cm² and 12.3 inches, and a touch screen of 453 cm² and 12 inches diagonal in the center of the console, in a vertical format intended for the latest version of the Google system. Materials, finishes, and adjustments are good. The only false note comes from the hands-free card, with its low-end plastic. In any case, taking the Renault-Nissan CMF-CD platform and the generous wheelbase of the Espace (2.74 m), this Rafale offers plenty of space on board. The coupe profile does not pose any restriction on access to the three rear seats. And, under the fifth door, we have a generous trunk of 532 liters and usable shapes.

Less expensive than the 300 hp PHEV variant equipped with a large 22 kWh battery and all-wheel drive, the "E-Tech 200" mechanics suit this Rafale perfectly.

The 1.2 turbo with 130 hp and the two electric motors (68 hp for the propulsion one plus 34 hp for the alternator-starter) work very well together, ensuring both smooth operation and efficient restarts when necessary. The original dog shift gearbox is somewhat slow in downshifting, but the acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h is brilliant and allows for overtaking with complete safety. A vigor that does not prevent it from displaying great sobriety, with the Renault SUV contenting itself with an average of 6 liters and 4.8 liters in the city. And even on the highway, often the weak point of hybrids, we achieved an average consumption of 7.2 liters. This measured appetite goes hand in hand with a dynamic chassis, Renault has taken care of the suspension so that the song is worthy of the plumage. Compared to the Austral, the tracks are widened by 40 mm, the body roll is reduced by 10%, and the tires are wider (245 mm, compared to 235). As an extra, the four-wheel steering supplied as standard in the Esprit Alpine trim offers "extreme" settings: for greater agility, the rear wheels continue to turn in the opposite direction (up to 5°) beyond 100 km/h when the cursor is set to the maximum – 13 possible settings. The other advantage of 4Control is that it provides the Rafale with the same turning radius between curbs as a Clio (10.40 m).

On the road, Renault's SUV shows surprising dynamism. The efficiency and stability of the chassis are astonishing when we get into a mountain road and start linking curves. However, it is clear that comfort has been sacrificed for efficiency and sporty behavior. Another drawback is that braking is difficult to dose, even in gentle use, due to energy recovery when lifting the accelerator (four configurations are possible using the steering wheel paddles).

Rafale 2024, its name is born in reference to the record-breaking Caudron-Renault Rafale plane, which reached 445 km/h in 1934. But today we remember how in the genesis of the original R 25 of 1983, there was also a "Rafale." Things of history.