• Renault has created a one-off Rafale Hyper Hybrid E-Tech for the French president.
  • The 297 hp hybrid’s body was stretched and armored to keep heads of state safe.
  • Soft-close doors, flag holders, and Bleu Présidence paint feature on the custom SUV.

It’s unlikely you’d ever find President Trump squashed in the back of a mid-size crossover, but that’s exactly what Renault has delivered to France’s head of state, Emmanuel Macron. Le Prez’s new ride is a Renault Rafale Hyper Hybrid, but it’s definitely not like the ones a Renault dealer will sell you.

The Rafale is a coupe-crossover that’s similar in shape to a BMW X2, but rides on a 48 mm (1.9 inches) longer wheelbase. To turn it into France’s answer to The White House’s Beast, Renault’s engineers added an unspecified amount of metal between the wheels to improve rear seat space, and plenty of armoring to keep the dignitaries sitting there safe.

Related: GM To Build US President’s New ‘Beast’, Supply Secret Service With Chevys Posing As Escalades

An exclusive shade of paint, Bleu Présidence, coats the bodywork and features a white and red glitter effect that shimmers in the sunlight. The custom crossover also comes with removable flag holders, a grille in the colors of the French flag, and tricolore badges on each front fender where Alpine badges normally live on the range-topper.

When it came to the interior, Renault recruited some specialists to help it develop something it feels shows off the best in French style, luxury, and craftsmanship. Their input resulted in the one-off Rafale’s rear console, steering wheel, and dashboard getting a coat of black marble trim quarried in the Pyrenees, and the rear control panels being fashioned from dark beech wood by a notable cabinet maker.

France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside

Renault

The custom leather seats feature full ventilation to keep the boss man’s crack dry even when he’s stressing about Trump’s new 30 percent tariffs on goods from the EU. Plus, there’s additional sound insulation, and the rear doors have a soft-close function, something normally only seen on luxury cars.

Renault doesn’t say how much weight the stretching, armouring, and marbling added, but the finished car must be nearer 2,700 kg (5,950 lbs) than the 1,700 kg (3,747 lbs) of a stock Rafale PHEV. With that kind of girth even the top-spec Hyper Hybrid’s 297 hp (300 PS), 1.2-liter powertrain is going to have its work cut out, and you can forget matching the production version’s 6.4-second zero to 62 mph (100 kmh) time, or its 65 miles (105 km) electric range.

Renault has been supplying cars to the French president since 1920, but do you think a mid-size crossover is a suitable vehicle for the French head of state? What kind of car would you have Macron ride in? Leave a comment and let us know.

France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside
France’s Presidential SUV Looks Like A Regular Crossover Until You See What’s Inside

Renault