There’s a new SUV crossover on the way from Renault - and this is it, the upcoming Austral.
These snaps show the Austral in its disguised final testing phase, with a fleet of 100 of the cars currently being put through their paces on European roads.
All signs point to the fact that the Austral will replace the Kadjar in the Renault range, a vehicle which sits between the smaller Captur and larger Arkana in the firm’s suite of SUVs.
And if that’s the case, the new Austral will have some big shoes to fill.
In 2020 the Kadjar won the ‘Best Mid-Sized SUV’ award at the Auto Express Used Car Awards, and has also proved popular with lease customers.
So no pressure then, eh, Austral..? By the way, in case you’re wondering, ‘Australis’ is a Latin word that refers to an aurora that occurs in earth's southern hemisphere, so the Austral leans heavily on that heritage,
A Renault spokesperson says:
“Every time a new model is launched, test vehicles are taken through months of intensive trials in order to ensure the utmost quality and reliability. These endurance tests are undertaken to confirm the reliability and longevity of the vehicle’s various components.
The All-New Renault Austral has now entered its final stage of development, with final checks of the new CMF-CD3 platform and electrified engine options.”
Speaking of those engine options, the Austral will be strictly petrol hybrid only. And we’re talking about mild hybrids here, not the plug-in type.
An ‘E-Tech hybrid’ will be a 1.3 TCe unit with a 12V mild hybrid system.
And, for the first time in the Renault range, there will also be a ‘1.2 TCe’ mill with 48V mild hybrid technology to improve efficiencies further.
Our Renault spokesperson adds:
“This range of engines will offer record-breaking performance, with reduced CO2 emissions - from 105g CO2/km - and up to 200hp maximum power.”
Rivals to the Austral will be pretty much the same as competitors to the Kadjar - which means the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, KIA Sportage and Hyundai Tucson.
Sylvia Dos Santos, Model-naming Strategy Manager within the Renault Global Marketing Department, adds:
“Austral conjures up the vibrancy and heat of the southern hemisphere and extends an invitation to explore, which makes it an ideal fit for an SUV.
“The word is built around a harmonious balance of sounds that are easy to pronounce by people all around the world, giving it a truly international feel.”
The Austral will get its full reveal in the spring.
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