Renault Austral: What to consider after testing the new SUV

After good first impressions on the aesthetics, the Renault Austral still had to convince us on the road. So we tested his steering wheel for two days and 600 km for a detailed first meeting.

That's what the Renault Austral needed to do after a successful entry into the family SUV scene.

In order to regain control of this very important segment in sales, a bet was first made on an ultramodern interior. Perhaps this is where he had to make the most progress, even if it meant getting a new costume that was less spectacular than expected.

Mission accomplished, because the Austral impresses from the first moment on board, with ultra-modern equipment and, the icing on the cake, very intuitive.

Add promising modularity, with a 16cm sliding seat, and the Renault SUV is, on paper, armed to take on its rivals.

It remained to know their talents – or not! - on the road. That's what we did for 600 km in the Madrid region and for two days.

The modern and well-made Renault Austral

From the Spanish capital we come back with a multitude of images, so that you can judge the Austral from all angles, but also with the conviction that this family SUV will be luckier than the Kadjar, that good student too serious to fire passion .

Admittedly, the Austral we tested had rear steering, making it livelier and more agile than many sports cars - we weigh our words - but there's every reason to think the standard versions won't be clunky on the road and will undoubtedly win in comfort.

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Another source of satisfaction: the 200 hp hybrid engine. Because it has nothing to do with the Clio and Captur drivetrain, in particular the combustion engine.

The Austral, from Renault, in fact inaugurates a new turbo 1.2 3-cylinder associated with two electric motors.

See too: Mercedes will introduce the 2023 EQE SUV in October

Aside from some gearbox sluggishness when downshifting, the pleasure is there. As well as sobriety, as we noticed a reasonable 7.3 l/100 km. However, you will need to confirm your good impressions with our independent protocol.

Well placed in terms of prices, Austral thus promises a good career.