"The Renault Austral is a comfortable, spacious and hi-tech SUV that’s a big step-up from the outgoing Kadjar"
- MPG, running costs & CO2
- Engines, drive & performance
- Interior & comfort
- Practicality & boot space
- Reliability & safety
Pros
- Full of the latest tech
- Relaxing to drive
- Practical
Cons
- Only one engine option
- Sluggish gearbox
- Other SUVs more exciting to drive
It’s amazing how quickly the SUV segment is evolving; only a few years ago, Renault’s offerings were top of the class, but they are now already starting to feel dated alongside competition from Kia, Hyundai and Peugeot.
The French marque intends to rectify this with a string of new electrified models which began with the fully-electric Megane E-Tech hatchback, and now this: the mid-size Renault Austral SUV. A replacement for the ageing Renault Kadjar, the Austral shares many of its parts with the Nissan Qashqai and is a rival to the Hyundai Tucson and Peugeot 3008.
Don’t be deceived by the blue ‘E’ badge on the Austral’s bootlid – this is not a fully-electric SUV. Instead, Renault is only offering the Austral with a self-charging hybrid powertrain in the UK. This provides improved economy over standard petrol and diesel-powered rivals, although we wish there was the option of a plug-in hybrid powertrain, too.
On the inside, the Austral gets Renault’s latest suite of ‘OpenR’ infotainment tech which includes an expansive portrait-style touchscreen. Overall quality is also a step up from the old Kadjar; there are plenty of solid-feeling materials and the design is much more exciting than you’ll find in a Volkswagen Tiguan.
The Renault Austral debuts an all-new trim level to tie in with the French marque’s performance brand, called ‘Esprit Alpine’. However, while the extra styling touches brought by the Esprit Alpine specification do make the Austral appear a bit more purposeful, it’s quick to assert itself as anything but sporty, no matter which trim level you opt for.
The Austral’s suspension is supple so it should be suited to bumpy UK roads, while all cars come with a rather lethargic clutchless automatic transmission which is suited to relaxed driving. This, alongside a spacious interior, means the Austral is a solid choice for buyers looking for a hi-tech and efficient family workhorse.
MPG, running costs & CO2
With a standard hybrid powertrain, the Austral should be inexpensive to run for private buyers
As is the case with the majority of mid-size family SUVs, the Renault Austral is offered with a hybrid powertrain to keep running costs to a minimum. Renault claims the 1.2-litre petrol hybrid engine under the Austral’s bonnet will return 61.1mpg on the combined WLTP test cycle. This is ahead of the 53.3mpg official figure for the Nissan Qashqai e-Power hybrid.
Unfortunately, there are no plug-in hybrid or fully-electric variants of the Austral to keep company car tax figures low. CO2 emissions of 104g/km mean the Austral slots into the not-so-ideal 25% Benefit-in-Kind bracket.
Insurance groups for the Renault Austral are yet to be announced, but we expect it to mirror the Nissan Qashqai e-Power which ranges from groups 24-26.
Engines, drive & performance
The Austral is not the most exciting SUV to drive, but the optional four-wheel steering makes it manoeuvrable
As much as Renault would love you to think the Austral is a sporty crossover – especially in racy Esprit Alpine trim – it’s more suited to comfortable cruising around town, which is ideal for most SUV drivers.
Top Austral models can be fitted with a four-wheel steering system, dubbed 4CONTROL. Usually reserved for high-end luxury cars, this enables the Renault to turn its rear wheels in the opposite direction of those at the front to shrink the turning circle. The Austral can also turn its rear axle the same way as the front in order to increase stability at high speeds. All of this means Austral models fitted with 4CONTROL feel much more like a family hatchback when performing tight manoeuvres, rather than a big SUV.
As previously mentioned, there is only one engine to choose from: a 196bhp self-charging hybrid. This comprises a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, alongside a small electric motor and gets the Austral from 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds, which is average for a car like this.
What lets the Austral’s powertrain down, however, is the clutchless automatic gearbox which comes fitted to all cars. While this is supposed to offer 15 different gear ratio combinations to prioritise acceleration and/or smoothness, in reality, it can be sluggish to respond and dampens the Austral’s performance somewhat.
Interior & comfort
The Renault Austral packs one of the most hi-tech interiors in its class
Renault has set the Austral’s suspension up for comfort and while there is no adaptive option with different stiffness settings, the standard setup works well. When driving along, there is little wind noise to complain about, although many may find the piped-in engine sound a bit annoying.
What truly makes the Austral a joy to travel in is the mountain of tech that’s on offer. The centrepiece of the Austral’s interior is Renault’s latest OpenR infotainment system; this is powered by Google software and comprises a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, alongside a 12.3-inch portrait touchscreen. Both are incredibly configurable and responsive to your inputs, while there’s also a large head-up display meaning you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to see information such as your current speed.
The overall fit-and-finish of the cabin has seen a step up from the outgoing Kadjar; while the Austral is nowhere near as plush as, say, a BMW X1, nearly everything feels well screwed together.
Practicality & boot space
A sliding rear bench makes the already-spacious Austral even more versatile
Being a family SUV, you’d expect the Austral to be incredibly practical; although it’s not quite the roomiest car in its class, Renault’s offering is one of the most versatile. For example, Renault claims there’s 35 litres-worth of storage bins dotted around the cabin, while the rear seats can be slid backwards and forwards to prioritise passenger or boot space – just like in the smaller Renault Captur.
With the rear seats slid all the way forwards, the Renault Austral’s boot offers a cavernous 555 litres of space – taller passengers may find things a bit tight in this configuration, though. When the rear bench is fully reclined, the boot shrinks to just 430 litres, which is significantly smaller than the Skoda Karoq’s 521-litre load bay. Another drawback is the rather large lip, which can make getting heavier items into the Austral’s boot difficult.
Reliability & safety
The Austral should be safe, but Renault customer satisfaction is poor
Renault’s recent performance in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey does raise questions surrounding reliability. In 2022, the French brand placed a disappointing 24th out of 29 manufacturers, with over 22% of buyers reporting issues with their new car within the first year of ownership. While the Austral is too new to feature in our Driver Power top 75 cars list, Renault is hoping the Austral will be able to restore its owner’s faith in the brand.
On a more positive note, the Renault Austral should be incredibly safe. Its mechanical sibling, the Nissan Qashqai, was awarded a full five-star safety rating by industry experts, Euro NCAP in December 2021. Renault also claims the Austral can be fitted with up to 32 different driver assistance and safety technologies, including autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera system.
Keyword: Renault Austral SUV review