Update with first photos: New model, new name: Renault’s new compact SUV is coming in 2022 and is called Austral. The Renault Kadjar, which has been the compact SUV in the shark tank since its premiere in 2015, will be replaced in spring 2022. The successor gets a new name: Renault Austral.
The new name is derived from the Latin word “australis”, which means “southern” in German. The Australian continent in the southern hemisphere also got its name from here. According to the manufacturer, the model name of the new SUV is intended to emphasize its French origins, but also to signal internationality.
A little longer than the Kadjar
Maybe the new generation will also be available in Australia. The Kadjar is not offered “down under”. Renault’s SUV portfolio is already international today. The Koleos and the new Renault Arkana are built in South Korea and sold there by the subsidiary Samsung Motors.
With a length of 4.51 meters, the Renault Austral is only slightly larger than the Kadjar, which measures 4.45 meters. In contrast to some competitors, there should be no seven-seater version of the Austral, it was deliberately announced as an SUV for up to five passengers.
Renault has not yet shown more than the lettering of the new model. What can be seen, however, is an LED strip running across the width of the rear, which connects the two taillights above the brand emblem.
Renault Austral Prototypes on the road
With the start of the test drives, Renault has published the first photos of the still camouflaged Austral. It can already be seen that design does not hold any revolution in store. Rather, the SUV follows the current lines of the French brand with narrow lights on the front and rear and a large emblem in the grill. Pictures of the interior have not yet been shown.
In addition to the fully electric Mégane E-Tech, the Austral is the second innovation from the Renault brand, with which the French compact class will be renewed in 2022. The combustion engine model will probably share the technical platform with the new Qashqai from Japanese alliance partner Nissan.
While the SUV-Coupé Arkana is a pure combustion engine and hybrid, an electrified variant as a plug-in hybrid can be expected from the Renault Austral. The current Mégane is available as a five-door and station wagon (Grand Tour) with a plug, as is the smaller Captur. At the moment, a new 1.2-liter petrol engine with a 48V mild hybrid system is being announced as a premiere for the Austral, and the 1.3-liter engine is also to be offered as a 12V mild hybrid.
