Renault Austral

Renault Austral at a glance

Development and launch

Renault unveiled the Austral in March 2022, and the first public showing followed at the Paris Motor Show in October 2022. Production started in July 2022 at Palencia. The car replaced the Kadjar in the compact SUV class. Renault later added two bigger models on the same base: the seven-seat Espace in March 2023 and the Rafale coupé SUV in June 2023. According to Wikipedia the three cars share 75 percent of their parts.

The Espace uses most of the Austral's body panels and front end on a longer wheelbase and is offered with five or seven seats; it is also built in Palencia. The Rafale is the most powerful of the three: its plug-in hybrid has 224 kW (304 PS) and all-wheel drive through a rear electric motor, a layout the Austral itself does not offer.

Engines and gearboxes

Wikipedia gives 119 kW for the original Mild Hybrid 160, ADAC lists 116 kW for the facelifted version. The full hybrid combines the 1.2-litre engine with a 50 kW electric motor and a 1.7 kWh battery in a 400-volt system. Its gearbox is a clutchless multimode automatic, which ADAC lists with six speeds. There is no plug-in hybrid and no diesel.

The 2025 facelift

Renault revealed the update on 2 April 2025. Autonotizen.de lists these changes:

• a Rafale-style front with a vertical LED daytime light, new bonnet, grille, bumper and front wings;
• a reshaped tailgate and larger rear lights;
• adaptive matrix LED lights in higher trims and new paint colours;
• new front seats, laminated front side windows, better insulation and retuned dampers;
• in the Esprit Alpine trim, a camera in the A-pillar that recognises the driver and loads a stored profile.

4Control rear-wheel steering

The optional 4Control system steers the rear wheels. Below 50 km/h they turn opposite to the front wheels, which reduces the turning circle from 11.4 m to 10.1 m. Above 50 km/h they turn in the same direction for more stability.

Consumption and practicality

ADAC gives the facelifted E-Tech Full Hybrid 200 a WLTP consumption of 4.8 l/100 km (109 g/km CO2), 0–100 km/h in 8.4 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h. In the Autonotizen.de test drive in May 2025 the on-board computer showed 6.5 l/100 km; an earlier daily test of the pre-facelift car gave 5.7 l/100 km. The 1.3 Mild Hybrid 140 has a WLTP figure of 6.2 l/100 km.

Mild hybrid compared with the full hybrid

• The full hybrid has 43 kW more and needs 1.4 l/100 km less fuel in the WLTP cycle than the 1.3 mild hybrid, a reduction of 23 percent by our calculation.
• Weight per kW: 11.5 kg per kW for the full hybrid (1,685 kg, 147 kW).
• The mild-hybrid Austral offers 28 litres more boot space than the full hybrid (555 against 527 l), according to Autonotizen.de.

Safety and reliability

Euro NCAP tested a 1.3 TCe in 2022: 88 percent for adult occupants, 83 percent for children, 69 percent for pedestrians and 87 percent for safety assistance. The ADAC breakdown statistics show 3.0 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for cars registered in 2023.

Prices in Germany

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