Renault unveils a new electrified SUV, the Austral

KUALA LUMPUR: As a replacement for the Renault Kadjar, the all-new Austral has finally joined the French carmaker’s ever-growing stable. The SUV underpins the CMF-CD platform and brings a series of novelties to the table like a bold new look, an upmarket interior, and a range of electrified drivetrains. 

Talking about the design first, it is apparent that the new Renault Austral borrows design cues from the latest Megane. Upfront, we can see a honeycomb grille flanked by pincer-like LED headlights, while on the sides, the sharp creases, 17- to 19-inch diamond-cut black alloy wheels, and a two-tone roof steal the show.

The range-topping 2023 Austral Esprit Alpine trim looks a tad sportier with black accents, bigger 20-inch wheels, and an exclusive Satin Shale Grey body paint. 

In terms of dimensions, Renault’s new electrified model is 4510 mm long, 1830 mm wide, and 1620 mm tall, and carries a wheelbase of 2670 mm. The cargo space varies from 500 to 575 litres depending on the rear bench type (fixed or sliding).

Under the hood of the new Renault Austral, we can either find a plug-in hybrid or a petrol mill. The available options include a 1.2-litre three-cyl engine coupled with an electric motor, combinedly producing 200 hp, and a small mild-hybrid set up with a 1.3-litre gasoline mill, a 12V lithium-ion battery pack, and a starter motor. This combination kicks out 138 hp with a manual transmission or 158 hp with an X-Tronic automatic.

Getting inside, here also things are inspired heavily by the Megane, including a similar split patterned dashboard. The car also features a 12-inch vertical touchscreen housing house a Google-based infotainment system, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 9.3-inch head-up display, a 360-degree camera, and many other advanced driver assistance systems that offer level 2 autonomy.

The all-new Renault Austral will hit the showrooms in late 2022 to give a run for money to the models like the Volkswagen T-Roc and Volvo XC40.

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