First Drive: Renault’s updated Austral aims to stand out from the crowd

What is it?

Renault has a dizzying number of SUVs in its line-up these days. This car, the Austral, sits somewhere between the smaller Captur and the coupe-esque Rafale, offering buyers an alternative to the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage. It’s a competitive segment, this one, and buyers are more savvy than ever when it comes to choosing a family-friendly SUV crossover.

Which is why Renault has updated the Austral with a more distinctive look than before, alongside the same fuel-efficient hybrid setup as before, albeit with a tweaked transmission. We’ve been driving it to see what it’s like.

What’s new?

Initial findings for the original Austral saw it being criticised for an overly firm ride, which is why Renault has aimed to improve this car’s overall efficiency and comfort. For example, it now features improved door seals and under-bonnet soundproofing for a quieter driving experience, while the front seats have been redesigned to be more comfortable and supportive than before.

In typical ‘facelift’ fashion, you’ll also find a number of slight tweaks made to the exterior, with redesigned headlights and a new high-gloss black finish for areas like the wheel arches among some of the more notable changes.

What’s under the bonnet?

There’s quite a compact motor driving this relatively large car. It’s a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol, which is then linked up to a pair of electric motors for a little bit of extra zip. Combined, you’re getting just shy of 200bhp and 410Nm of torque, enabling a 0-60mph time of 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 111mph.

The Austral isn’t equipped with a large electric battery – it measures just 2kWh – so can’t provide any meaningful amount of electric range, but efficiency is still good with Renault claliming up to 58.98mpg combined and CO2 emissions of between 108 and 109g/km depending on which wheel size you go for.

What’s it like to drive?

Renault has been quick to implement a clever new multi-link suspension system with all-wheel-steering that helps with low-speed manoeuvrability, but sadly, British drivers won’t get this. Instead, UK-bound Australs will get a more traditional torsion-beam setup, which probably won’t be able to offer the very best on-road refinement. That said, this multi-link setup still failed to offer the last word in on-road comfort with it struggling to manage its weight when navigating bumps in the road. Those new measures to make the Austral quieter than before have mainly worked, too, though the wing mirrors can sometimes generate a little bit of noise at motorway speed.

But the powertrain isn’t bad, mind you, with the Austral managing to pootle around town at low speeds in electric-only mode for a good deal of the time. We’re not fond of the brakes, however, which feel woolly and hard to predict – the top of the pedal press isn’t confidence-inspiring.

How does it look?

There’s plenty to like about the way the Austral looks, however. In a striking blue colour, our test car perfectly matched the sunny Spanish climate, while the black elements added a nice amount of contrast. In fact, two new colours have been added to the range – Naxos Blue and Matte Satin Pearl White – which are both available on sportier esprit Alpine trim levels.

The newly designed adaptive LED headlights look the part as well, and, overall, it’s a good-looking thing – to our eyes at least.

What’s it like inside?

A family-friendly SUV needs to offer plenty of space and the Austral does well in this regard. Those sitting up front have a nice, clear view of the road thanks to the slightly lifted seating position, while those in the back do get a decent level of legroom even when there are taller occupants sitting ahead of them. The rear seats can slide forward and back, too, which is great if you need to prioritise legroom or boot space. Storage isn’t bad either and while some of the materials do feel a little scratchy lower down in places, it’s an otherwise pleasant place to be.

In terms of luggage space, you’re getting 527 litres with those sliding seats in their rearmost position, which increases to 1,746 litres with the back seats folded down. It’s only slightly down on the boot space that you’ll get in the Kia Sportage hybrid, which brings 587 litres.

What’s the spec like?

Renault hasn’t released pricing for the new Austral yet, but it’s expected to be very similar to the current model. This would put it between £35,000 and £39,000, which is about right for the segment. There’s plenty of tech on board to justify that price, too, including a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a 12-inch multimedia touchscreen, which both get good graphics and plenty of features.

As before, the Austral benefits from Google services built in, which means that the whole system runs features such as Google Maps automatically. The entire infotainment system is good, too, and is easy to navigate and quick to respond. It’s one of the car’s highlights, in fact.

Verdict

Renault’s Austral does a good job of standing out. It’s a stylish option, for sure, and the new design upgrades make it more noticeable than before. The in-car tech and levels of space overall are great, too.

But is it the best overall car in a segment which is populated by so many rivals? Had UK drivers been getting this upgraded suspension system, it might have been in with a chance, but until we get it back here with its more rudimentary setup, question marks still hang over the Renault Austral.