√2023 Renault Austral revealed, Australia unconfirmed

The Renault Kadjar will be replaced by the Austral in Europe later this year – but there’s no confirmation of an Australian launch… for now.

The 2023 Renault Austral has been revealed for Europe, as the French car maker’s newest medium SUV offering – but an Australian launch is yet to be confirmed.

Replacing the ageing Kadjar, the Austral is twinned under the skin with the latest Nissan Qashqai – and is Renault’s challenger in the small-to-mid-size SUV segment, straddling the gap between the small Arkana and larger Koleos.

Despite its name, the Austral hasn’t been locked in for Australia, with a spokesperson for Renault’s local importer Ateco recently telling Drive it’s “interested” in all right-hand-drive products available to the company – but stopped short of a confirmation.

Measuring 4.51mm long and 1.62m tall, the Austral is about 8cm longer than its Nissan Qashqai twin – but the two appear to share a circa-2670mm wheelbase and a circa-1830mm width, saving costs and streamlining development.

Compared to the outgoing Renault Kadjar, the new Austral is about 60mm longer and 10mm taller, riding on a circa-25mm longer wheelbase (but a similar width).

The Nissan Qashqai similarities don’t extend to the Austral’s styling, as it draws cues from Renault’s new dedicated electric car, the Megane E-Tech Electric small SUV – seen most prominently in the lower ‘blade’ front bumper detailing, joined by Renault’s new retro-flavoured diamond logo.

Matrix LED headlights with welcome animations are fitted to flagship models in Europe, as are animated LED tail-lights (which extend into the tailgate), 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, and one of eight exterior colours.

Inside, the Austral follows the Megane E-Tech Electric with a curved panel in front of the driver, combining a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 9.0-inch or 12-inch infotainment touchscreen running Renault’s latest Android-based OpenR software with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and over-the-air updates.

Available tech features include a 9.3-inch head-up display, a choice of Arkamys or 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound systems, ambient cabin lighting, wireless charging, a panoramic sunroof, heated front seats and steering wheel, and a driver’s seat with massaging and power adjustment.

The squared-off steering wheel is trimmed in nappa leather on flagship cars, while the seats can be optioned with perforated leather upholstery.

Debuting with the Austral is a new Esprit Alpine (or “Alpine spirit”) variant, which serves as the replacement for the RS Line and GT Line styling packs applied to past Renault models – adding sportier styling but no extra power.

Exterior upgrades centre around available Satin Shale Grey paint (with an optional black roof), unique 20-inch ‘Daytona’ wheels, black and satin grey exterior accents, and a smattering of Alpine badges – while inside there’s Alcantara upholstery, embroidered Alpine headrest logos, French flag seat tags, blue, red and white stitching, and Alpine start-up screens.

Renault highlights between 500 and 575 litres of boot space in mild-hybrid models – depending on where the rear seats are positioned, as they can slide – plus up to 35 litres of interior storage space across various compartments.

Buyers can choose between three electrified powertrains: two petrol engines with mild-hybrid systems, and a full ‘closed-loop’ E-Tech Hybrid variant.

Opening the range is a new 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to develop 96kW. With a manual transmission and front-wheel drive, Renault claims combined fuel consumption of 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres.

A more potent 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder is available, developing 103kW (with a manual or CVT automatic) or 118kW/270Nm (with a CVT only) – though its 12-volt “mild-hybrid” system means it’s less efficient, quoting 6.2L/100km with the more potent state of tune.

Sitting atop the range is the full E-Tech Hybrid powertrain, available in 118kW and 146kW tunes through a 96kW/205Nm 1.2-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder engine, two electric motors, a 1.7kWh battery, and s seven-speed ‘clutch-less’ automatic transmission.

Renault claims combined fuel economy of as low as 4.6 litres per 100 kilometres – as 80 per cent of city driving can be completed in electric mode, the company says – and a 80-120km/h time of 5.9 to 6.8 seconds. It’s distinguished by an ‘E’ badge on the tailgate, now spelling out ‘AUSTRALE’ – with Esprit Alpine variants swapping the E’s colour from gold to blue.

The Austral can be optioned with rear-wheel steering, capable of rotating up to five degrees in the opposite direction to the front wheels at low speeds, or one degree in the same direction at high speeds – enabling a 10.1-metre turning circle.

Available active safety features in the Renault Austral include Level 2 semi-autonomous driving with adaptive cruise control (with stop and go), lane centring and lane-keep assist, plus traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and autonomous emergency braking in both directions (forward and reverse).

There’s also a 360-degree camera with a 3D view, aided by semi-automatic parking designed to control steering and brakes (but not throttle) into angled, perpendicular or parallel spaces.

The 2023 Renault Austral will go on sale in Europe before the end of 2022. An Australian launch is yet to be confirmed.

The post 2023 Renault Austral revealed, Australia unconfirmed appeared first on Drive.