New hope: Renault Austral
Image: Helge Jepsen
The SUV Kadjar was a flop for Renault, the Austral should now fix it. As an innovation, the compact vehicle is available in a 200 hp full hybrid version. It’s economical, but not cheap.
IIn the high-volume compact SUV segment, the Renault Kadjar, which was launched in 2015, was never really able to score points. Sales in Germany were sluggish. After just one generation, Renault pulled the ripcord and sent the model into retirement. The successor is the newly developed Austral, and it looks like things are going better now. While the Kadjar had 2,596 sales in Germany in 2022, more than 6,100 customers have already decided on the Austral in the new year. Much more than just the name has changed: the new one is more modern, more digital and more valuable.
With a massive front section, gently sloping roof and high window line that rises towards the rear, the 4.51 meter long five-seater is reminiscent of the electric Megane E-Tech. In addition to two mild hybridized gasoline engines with 140 and 160 hp, the top engine is for the first time a full hybrid that cannot be charged via a power socket. We traveled with him for two weeks. Although the Austral shares the platform with the Nissan Qashqai, its hybrid technology is different. A 1.2-liter gasoline engine with 131 hp forms the basis. That doesn’t sound like much at first. The small three-cylinder is flanked by two electric motors, one provides drive and the other acts as a belt starter generator. The electric motors mobilize a further 68 hp, and with a system output of 200 hp, the front-wheel drive Austral is quite lively and agile.
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