2023 Renault Austral revealed, Australian debut not confirmed

The 2023 Renault Austral has finally been revealed following months of teasers from the brand.

Boasting three electrified powertrains and a top-spec Esprit Alpine variant, a first on any Renault model, the Austral is the French marque’s replacement for the ageing Kadjar crossover.

As expected, much of the new model’s design language is borrowed from its Megane E-Tech Electric sibling and it will share its underpinnings with the Nissan Qashqai – riding on the Alliance’s CMF-CD next-gen platform.

While the carmaker has previously confirmed the Austral would come with two mild-hybrid powertrains, a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol and 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol, it has also now revealed a ‘self-charging’ version of the 1.2-litre unit will also be offered.

Pricing for the Austral has yet to be revealed, but is expected to be in excess of the $29,990-$37,990 (corr.2020) asking price of the Kadjar it replaces if it did come to our shores.

Wheels contacted Renault Australia for confirmation of a local berth and a spokesperson for the brand told us that while there are no other details to share at this very early stage, it “welcome[s] all right-hand-drive products and their suitability for our market”.

15

Features

The 2023 Renault Austral borrows much of its styling cues from the recently-unveiled Renault Megane E-Tech electric SUV, with C-shaped headlights and a rising shoulder line at the C-pillar.

The Austral comes in seven body colours and can be had in a variety of alloy wheels ranging from 17-inches to 20-inches in size, most of which are diamond-cut.

The car’s centrepiece is its 12.0-inch portrait OpenR infotainment screen, twinned with a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and a new-generation 9.3-inch head-up display. In addition to the Arkamys sound system found in other members of the Renault family, the Austral features a Harman Kardon unit as an option.

The cabin is made up of a combination of real timber, 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. It also features customisable lighting system known as Living Lights.

Various nooks and crannies in the cabin provide up to 35 litres of extra storage, with the centre console – split into two separate compartments – offering the most space.

Meanwhile the boot has a 500L capacity in the two mild hybrid variants with the second row back and upright, which extends to 575L when brought forward and to 1525L when folded flat.The modular design means that some versions feature a 2/3–1/3 split-folding rear seat that can also be individually adjusted along 160 millimetre rails.

With no transmission tunnel to worry about, leg room in the second row of seats has been increased over its predecessor to 274 millimetres, also freeing up space in the front which Renault says creates a "cocoon" effect.

15

It also houses a streamlined hand rest that is said to make using the multimedia screen more comfortable. The console includes a phone slot with inductive charging capabilities.

And there’s greater interior space for occupants, thanks to the CMF-CD platform it shares with its Qashqai cousin, and it measures up at 4510 millimetres long, 1830mm wide, 1620mm high and has a 2670mm wheelbase. That makes it 60mm longer, 10mm slimmer, 20mm taller, and with a 23mm longer wheelbase than the Kadjar it replaces. It weighs in at 1373 kilograms too.

For the first time ever, a Renault model will have a range-topping Esprit Alpine variant offering Austral buyers a more sporty feel.

This version sees the Austral get an even more assertive design underpinned by a new, specially designed, satin shale grey body colour said to be more robust and easy to maintain.

The sporty feel is enhanced by the addition of a grille bar and satin grey sport blade 20-inch diamond-cut black Daytona aluminium rims with ‘Alpine’ branding; satin black roof rails – décor highlights in diamond black, extra glossy black and ice black appear across the car’s exterior. There are also Esprit Alpine badges located on the car’s side.

Inside, Esprit Alpine also boasts a number of distinctive elements to set it apart from the rest of the range, which has yet to be revealed, and includes; blue stitching and piping, unique, Alcantara upholstery with carbon-fibre ‘twill’ fabric, Nappa leather steering wheel with Alcantara inserts and stitching in blue, white and red, aluminium pedals and door sills bearing the ‘Alpine’ logo.

The top-level trim includes a bi-tone finish as a standard feature.

15

Engine, transmission and economy

As mentioned above, the 2023 Renault Austral comes with a choice of three electrified powertrains – there are no purely fossil-fuel powered options, nor is there a fully-electric version.

First up is the mild hybrid utilising a 1.3 litre four-cylinder turbocharged direct injection petrol engine that is already available throughout the Renault range. Developed in collaboration with Daimler, the engine is backed up by a starter motor and a 12V lithium-ion battery. It boasts either 104kW (in either auto or manual guise) or 119kW (auto only) – in 119kW guise maximum torque is 270Nm between 1800 and 3500rpm with fuel economy rated at 6.2L/100km and 136g CO2/km.

Second cab off the rank is the more advanced mild hybrid option which makes its Renault début with the Austral and serves as a genuine alternative to diesel.

It combines the latest 1.2 litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with a 48V lithium-ion battery and electric motor. The 97kW engine mated to a manual transmission are said to make the Austral a pleasure to drive, while keeping fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions to the best level for the category at 5.3 L/100km and 123g CO2/km. The settings can be toggled to maximise energy output, while keeping fuel use 20 per cent lower than that of an equivalent non-hybrid combustion motor.

15

Rounding out the choice of powertrains is the brand-new E-Tech ‘self-charging hybrid’ – a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine paired with an electric motor good for 146kW of power. It’s paired with a 1.7kWh lithium-ion 400V battery and a smart multi-mode clutch-less dog box (a transmission usually reserved for motor racing) for better performance, while also reducing fuel use and CO2 emissions. Fuel economy for this one is rated at 4.6L/100km and 105g of CO2/km.

As with Renault’s previous generation of E-Tech Hybrid engines, the car always starts in full-electric mode for a driving experience that is unique to electric cars.

Renault’s Multi-Sense Advanced technology features three pre-set driving modes: Eco, Comfort and Sport. A fourth mode (Perso) gives the driver free rein. Meanwhile and Extended Grip Pack includes two additional modes: ‘Snow’ and ‘All roads’.

Drivers can switch between modes at any time, either manually or via the voice command Google Assistant. The Austral also features a brand-new proactive function to help reduce fuel use in that it automatically suggests switching to Eco mode.

The Austral’s chassis also comes in two versions: flexible torsion beam for two-wheel steering models and a multi-link rear axle with 4CONTROL Advanced for four-wheel steering – the latter of which has a turning circle measuring 10.1 metres.

15

Safety

Safety features on the all-new Renault Austral include:

Availability

The 2023 Renault Austral will go on sale in Europe from the last quarter 2022.