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As an heir to the now-defunct Kadjar, Renault has finally pulled back the covers off its new Austral compact crossover SUV boasting a resolutely modern approach.
The new Renault Austral is the first model in the French automaker’s books to benefit from the new CMF-CD platform that will underpin compact and high-end products.
From an exterior point of view, the new Renault Austral wears the same silhouette as the brand’s latest products, thanks to what Renault calls micro-optic technology used on the rear LED lights plus a diamond-shaped pattern in the front lights.
It is available in seven body colours with the range-topping Esprit Alpine getting the bespoke Satin Shale Grey and a standard bi-tone finish. The road’s rubber patches come in the form of 17” for the lesser trims and up to 20” diamond cut alloy wheels for the high-end models.
The interior is built around the OpenR screen that combines a 12.3” instrument cluster and a 12” vertical multimedia screen plus a new 9.3” head-up display. There is a cruising console that resides between the driver and front passenger that also acts as a hand rest.
Depending on the trim specified, there is a mixture of real wood, leather, Alcantara, padded textiles and other form-fitted materials that are soft to the touch and paired with lacquered highlights in Deep Glossy Black and Satin Chrome.
A customisable lighting system called Living Lights can also be found inside and, according to Renault, adds a feeling of warmth and prestige to the interior.
Power comes from two hybridised engine options and a sole full-hybrid; 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol and a 1.3-litre four-cylinder that’s also force-fed. The 1.2-litre unit is paired with a 48V lithium-ion battery and starter motor that’s good for 146 kW of power sent to the wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
Co-developed with the folks at Mercedes-Benz, the 1.3-litre engine is coupled with a 12V lithium-ion battery, a starter motor, and a 6-speed manual or X-Tronic automatic transmission. Power is rated at 104 kW with the manual transmission and 120 kW and 270 Newtons for the auto.
In the case of the E-Tech Hybrid model, it houses the 1.2-litre engine that always starts in the full-electric mode.
The entire range also benefits from regenerative braking with the E-TECH Hybrid having the option to select one of four different driving modes. Other features across the range include Multi-Sense and 4Control advanced systems.
The all-new Renault Austral comes equipped with 32 ADAS that are classified into three categories; driving, parking and safety. These include a new-generation 9.3" head-up display, active driver assist, level 2 autonomy, adaptive cruise control with ‘Stop & Go’, lane-centering, GPS data and mapping, a 360° around-view 3D camera, automated park assist, blind spot warning and lane departure prevention.
There is also rear automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, matrix LED vision smart lighting and an occupant safe exit feature.
With dimensions that measure 4.51 m in length, 1.83 m in width and a wheelbase of 2.67 m, it will go head-to-head with the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan and Toyota’s RAV4. It is expected to launch globally at around the fourth quarter of 2022.
It remains to be seen if Renault SA will be keen to bring it here since the Kadjar it essentially replaces was discontinued a little while ago.
