The Renault Austral is the successor to the Kadjar. It starts in September 2022, comes with a new design and fresh technology. All information and seat fitting!
Renault has relaunched the VW Tiguan opponent Kadjar. The new one will be rolling out to dealers as early as September 2022 – albeit under a different name. Instead of Kadjar, the compact SUV will be called Austral. The word Austral is derived from australis (Latin term for southern) and is intended to evoke distance, travel, and the like.
The prices are not yet known. The current Kadjar starts with 140 hp at 30,600 euros, and the Austral should also be within this range.
Design: The current Renault line is a bit more angular for the SUV
The design follows the current Renault line but has become a bit more angular here – with a striking grille in a checkerboard pattern and a huge Renault logo and C-shaped headlights, on the side with a high waistline and narrow window band. At the rear, in addition to a roof edge spoiler, there are again C-shaped taillights, equipped with LED technology and 3D effects.
With a length of 4.51 meters, the Austral remains about the same size as the Kadjar (4.49 meters), the technology comes from the Renault-Nissan platform CMF-CD. The closest relative is the current Nissan Qashqai.
Renault Austral Interior: L-shaped cockpit as in the electric Mégane
The Austral offers ample space in the front and rear. At the front, the high center console and the two large screens of the OpenR link cockpit are striking. We already know that from the Mégane E-Tech Electric. The two screens for the speedometer and infotainment functions are also arranged in an L-shape in the Austral. The multimedia system was developed together with Google and works on an Android basis.
The infotainment offers a variety of services, including Google Assistant and Maps. Smartphones can also be paired without a cable, via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Most functions are controlled via the touchscreen, there are hardly any buttons. An exception is climate control.
In the Austral, too, you get a button bar under the upright infotainment screen. Like the electric Mégane, the Kadjar successor also has a steering wheel that is flattened at the top and bottom.
Renault Austral Engines: exclusively petrol, the top model comes with a hybrid drive
Diesel engines have been eliminated from the drive program, but there are various – some electrified – petrol engines. The entry is a 1.2-liter three-cylinder mild hybrid with 130 hp. Above that is a 1.3-liter four-cylinder with 140 and 160 hp.
The top model is a full hybrid with 200 hp, but there is also a slightly weaker version with 160 hp. Some versions can be equipped with four-wheel steering and CVT automatic if desired. Further details are not yet known.
