- Facelift for Renault Austral
- SUV borrows styling from Renault Rafale
- Redesigned front and rear bumpers
- Full-hybrid powertrain remains the same
Here’s your first look at the new Renault Austral, with the SUV having been treated to a fairly hefty facelift.
In case you need a recap, the Austral is Renault’s answer to the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson.
First launched in 2022, the Austral is a capable family lease car that comes with a 200 hp full hybrid powertrain (which never needs to be plugged in) and which sits alongside the more svelte (and slightly larger) Renault Rafale SUV-coupe in the French firm’s range.
Now the Austral has been made ‘more assertive’ and given a ‘stronger contemporary edge’ with a raft of new updates.
Let’s start with the exterior.
The outgoing Austral’s front end is dominated by bumper made up of subtle rectangular patterns. Those have now been jettisoned in favour of 3D diamond shapes which echo the silhouette of the Renault badge.
At the rear, in particular, the upper and central sections of the tailgate gain more elegant lines. And new High Gloss Black strips are integrated with the lower side body protection, shielding the rear wings from gravel chips.
There are also new front and rear lights and half-diamond daytime running lights (DRL) in the bumper.
Top of the list of Renault’s tweaks for the interior is better soundproofing, with the acoustic insulation having been improved with new door seals and powertrain mounts. New shock absorbers have improved damping capabilities for better handling, too.
That cabin remains as versatile as ever, coming with a sliding rear bench of seats that move by 16cm forwards and backwards and which also recline in three positions. Rear passengers enjoy knee room of up to 27.4 cm and head room of over 90 cm ‘for a seating position suited to long journeys’, says Renault. Boot capacity is a max of 527 litres.
The Austral’s full hybrid ‘E-Tech’ 200 hp powertrain is untouched. It combines a 1.2-litre petrol engine with two electric motors to offer a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 8.4 seconds as well as fuel economy of around 60 miles to the gallon.
You also get a short all-electric range for city driving before the combustion engine kicks in.
As before, there are three trim levels to enjoy with a Renault Austral lease: Techno, Techno Esprit Alpine, and Iconic Esprit Alpine.
Base Techo models get chrome roof bars, the Renault ‘safety pack’ that includes blind spot warning, emergency braking in reverse and rear cross-traffic alert, and satin chrome interior inserts on the door panels. You can also expect Renault’s ‘OpenR’ twin-screen, Google-enabled infotainment system to be fitted as standard.
The Esprit Alpine trims add extras like black roof bars, black window surrounds, larger 20-inch alloys, and the option of ‘Twill’ upholstery.
All models get a full suite of driver assistance and safety tech, including adaptive cruise control with lane centring assist.
We’ll let you know when the new Renault Austral becomes available to order.
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