Renault Austral: The Kadjar replacement

The 2023 Renault Austral is a Kadjar replacement with hybrid power.

Renault's first C-Segment SUV - the Kadjar - had a name very few people could spell and even fewer people could say. So, now that the time has come to replace the car, Renault has decided to cut its losses with the name as well. That's why its newest family SUV is known as the Austral.

Various versions will be offered in other markets, but in the UK, the Austral is only being offered with one hybrid powertrain. This marries a turbocharged 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine with a pair of electric motors and a lithium ion battery to produce 196bhp, while still returning WLTP fuel economy of 61.4mpg.

In this CarGurus UK video review, Ivan Aistrop travels to the car's international launch in Madrid, Spain, to take a detailed look at Renault's new offering, evaluating its quality, technology, practicality, and of course, what it's like to drive.

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▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 – Introducing the Renault Austral
01:11 – Design
01:32 – Interior
03:20 – Driving impressions
06:10 – Verdict
07:07 – Let us know what you think

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#cargurusUK #renaultaustral #2023austral

[anthonystevens]

A great heads up Ivan. It looks good and seems like it's a worthy contender for a test drive when I decide to change my car. As you say I'll wait until these are tested on the UK's crater blasted roads in standard trim and prices announced . Many thanks for sharing as this is a car that at first glance could be a consideration.

[Archemeial]

I work for Renault and drive in Nottingham which has the worst roads in the UK. The drive was excellent. That is not me bumming Renault. I honestly never saw them as an option when buying cars but my wife and i both now drive Renault.

[mikediskin]

Is it just me, do I notice a trend when French cars are reviewed. A trend of lets begin in a negative fashion, , and continue to slowly psychologically leave the viewer underwhelmed with no real good reason why. For e.g. I have a Renault Koleos. A reviewer immediately tapped the surround of the infotainment system and criticised the "scratchy plastic interior". That is the only piece of scratchy plastic in the interior, the rest being lifted straight from a bouncy castle. They constantly compared it to other SUV's; when it is definitely not an SUV. Criticised its tyre noise. It comes with snow tyres which cost £180 each; and yes they rumble a bit. They are snow tyres, and if a reviewer does not know what that means; don't comment. My point being, criticising the badge and the name in the opening comments. Really. I wonder if it had an Audi badge on, the opening comments would have been the same?

[thomash]

In French there is no difference in pronunciation with or without the ‘E’.

[jamiep]

I enjoyed watching the Video Review. I actually like the New name. The design looks great as well

[reginaldamoah]

What was the 0 to 60 time? What would you compare this car against as a 1.2 self charging hybrid? Honda HRV?

[naferemix]

Looks lovely, having driven the last 3 clios and seen the way they’ve changed, I think they need to focus on bringing some comfort back. It’s a shame because styling and tech has improved dramatically. The new Megane would’ve been nice in self charging hybrid form and without those daft Z lights at the front.

[itechtalk]

This car actually looks good and certainly a big improvement over the car it’s replacing. And I very much like the Austral in its flagship finish Alpine trim.

[Fkl]

The color of the extra E also has a function. A blue E is an Esprit Alpine version, a gold E is the "normal" version.

[bcm-n]

1.2 little motor ... + electric engine ... makes me think that the motor will be kinda strained + i didn't understood if the Hybrid system is similar to the one in the QuashQai E-Power ... a car that has a biger 1.5 litter engine and less horsepower, that feels more balanced. + does this Austral come in 4WD?

[ysjmichael]

Is there going to be another test drive on UK roads? ☺

[geoff]

When is it available to buy in the UK.

[HologramJones]

Austral means "of the southern hemisphere" or "pertaining to Australasia, or Australia" and I can see what they are trying to invoke which is something that many car manufacturers particularly with SUVs or 4x4, things such as the environments that inspired it, or perhaps in this case southern winds (austral wind)etc. I am am not particularly fond of this car, but yeah one must break jokes about things one doesn't understand. 🤷‍♂

[ellisrochlin]

Thanks for a real world reveiw , looks wise doesnt inspire or excite me, is it going into the 40 k sterling upwards bracket if you want a all wheel drive and sun roof ? Renault also need to tap into a minimum 5 yr warranty which will bring a few more clients on board .

[johnalbone]

Just orderd one
It comes with the 4 wheel steer as I ordered the Iconic Esprit Alpine
Delivery will not be untill September

[neilburns]

Renault should take a look at their small car the Clio it's a relatively short name and easy to remember, when choosing a name for their mid-size SUV for example the Renault Teko or Nero would be ideal.

In otherwords the key is to keep the name short no more than 5 letters and at least 2 of the 5 should be vowels.

[HMUK]

Wow nice looking car, its like the Koleos little brother.

[ysjmichael]

UK test drive soon, I suppose 🤭I hope.

[PewLaserBeams]

my dad bought one, love it but with 20 inch wheels while it looks good, you feel small bumps.

[colinrenfrew]

Price will determine this cars success, in such a congested market.