Renault Austral debuts with multiple engine options; 5.3 ltr per 100 km mileage

French auto manufacturer Renault has added a new SUV model range, dubbed the Austral, to bolster its efforts to win back the C-segment consumers in the global automotive market.

The new Austral SUV, which will replace the existing Kadjar SUV in the automaker’s lineup, goes up against the likes of Volvo XC40, Volkswagen T-Roc, Ford Kuga and Toyota RAV4 in the overseas market.

Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault, said, “All-new Renault Austral is the perfect embodiment of what a C-segment SUV has to be, and of what Renault is capable to deliver.”  

Renault claims that Austral, which is co-developed with Alliance partners Japan’s Mitsubishi and Nissan, is the company’s first car to use a third-generation CMF-CD platform and can accommodate several types of electrified drivetrains.  

Gilles Vidal, Renault Director of Design, said, “The All-new Renault Austral brings together bold stylistic features for a dynamic and elegant design. Engineered volumes, precisely drawn lines, and sophisticated details imbue the design with an overall sense of readily visible quality. Gaps in the body are extra slim and all flush lines have been drawn in a way to give off an immediate feeling of quality.”

Renault’s new Austral is part of its ‘cars for living’ tradition and will come with an option of the company’s latest generation of E-TECH Hybrid motors on a 400V network for up to 200 hp, and two petrol engines: a 130 HP 48V Mild Hybrid Advanced and a 140 HP / 160 HP 12V Mild Hybrid.  

The new Renault Austral gets its power through a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine paired to a mild-hybrid tech, which the company claims to be a "genuine alternative to diesel." However, there’s no full-electric variant for now.  

Renault Austral SUV’s 48V Mild Hybrid Advanced variant gets a 48V lithium-ion battery and starter motor paired to a six-speed manual gearbox. With this Mild Hybrid Advanced system, Renault claims that the fuel consumption of the Austral SUV could be as low as 5.3 litres per 100 km.  

Renault Austral’s Mild Hybrid engine, on the other hand, comes with a 1.3 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine, which is co-developed with Mercedes-Benz. This version of the SUV’s powertrain provides either 140 HP or 160 HP with the X-TRONIC automatic transmission, or as 140 HP on a manual model.

In terms of size, the new Austral SUV is 4.51 meters long, 1.83 meters wide, 1.62 meters tall and has a wheelbase of 2.67 meters.  

The new Renault Austral, in terms of driving aids, features 32 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), like — a 9.3-inch Heads-Up Display, Active Driver Assist, level 2 autonomy, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Centering, 360 degrees around view 3D camera, Automated Park Assist, Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Prevention, Rear Automatic Emergency Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Matrix LED Vision smart lighting and Safe Exit for Occupant.