Renault Austral – Back to Basics

Renault Austral Equilibre, €37,330

With the Renault Austral, the French have had a successor to the Kadjar in their showrooms since last month, a car that shared its base with the Nissan Qashqai. The Austral also does that, although it differs more from its Nissan brother than the Kadjar. The difference in size remained roughly the same (the Renault is 8 centimeters longer), but the drive technology is completely different. The Austral introduces Renault’s completely new powertrains in the Netherlands.

When compiling the Austral, you can currently choose from two different engines, one of which is always linked to a 6-speed manual gearbox and the other is always linked to a 7-speed automatic transmission. The manual gearbox option puts a maximum of 130 hp and 230 Nm of torque at your disposal and combines a three-cylinder with a mild hybrid system. If you want an automatic transmission, then you have to rely on a full-hybrid with 200 hp. It is faster on the standard sprint: 8.4 seconds versus 10.8 for the manual mild hybrid.

The most powerful powertrain is only available in combination with the highest four of the five trim levels and costs from €43,830. For that money you not only get more power and an automatic transmission, but also a wider standard equipment. If you think it’s enough at €37,330 – still €6,500 less – then you do it with an Austral that can be recognized by 17-inch wheels and the lack of privacy glass. The second trim level is also available with the mild hybrid powertrain, costs from €39,830 and includes 19-inch light metal, a 12-inch infotainment screen and adaptive LED headlights.

White and grey

You can also recognize the Equilibre slip-on as an Austral without extra cost due to its white paint. Only three other colors are available on the basic version: grey, black and blue, the latter being the most expensive with an additional cost of €950. If you want choice in terms of wheels and interior, you have to go a step higher. The Equilibre is only available with the aforementioned 17-inch silver-colored ones and a dark gray fabric on the seats. With more expensive versions you not only have a choice of more colors, you can also choose one two tonecolor scheme are among the options. In addition, the Frenchman also has a completely different bumper party from the third trim level.

Still: today it’s all about the implementation of just over 37 grand – and then without extras. What you’re left with is a car that still has quite a few active driver assistance and safety systems. An active emergency braking system with cross-traffic detection, lane departure warning, fatigue and traffic sign recognizer and emergency lane keeping system: it’s all there. However, the cruise control present is one of the simple type and the car has, apart from rear sensors, only a parking aid system. The lighting all around is always LED.

You also get this bumper on the Techno, from the third level it looks different. The chrome above the side windows is standard.

Infotainment

The ever-present digital instrument panel in front of the driver always measures 12.3 inches. In any case, the driver can ensure that he or she is seated as desired and with the necessary overview, because the Austral has a heated windscreen in basic trim, heated (and electrically folding) side mirrors, depth-adjustable steering wheel, height-adjustable driver’s seat and automatic air conditioning. For an automatically dimming interior mirror you have to go a step higher.

The 9-inch infotainment screen provides access to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but sends music into the cabin through just four speakers. A Harman Kardon system is only an option on the top two trim levels, so the Austral usually sticks to the four mentioned. Yet, based on this Back to Basics, we seem to be able to conclude that a step up from the Equilibre is not a bad idea. The additional price of €2,500 will give you quite a bit.

Privacy glass and 19-inch wheels may be stolen from you, but the latter of those two, together with the considerably wider choice of exterior colors on the ‘Techno’, can just make the Austral look much more ‘finished’. This also applies to the interior: the second level gets a higher-quality (and larger) infotainment screen and a ditto partly made of artificial leather. The screen provides access to a navigation function and offers a view behind the car, because the Techno also has sensors in the front and a camera at the rear.

Save for ease of use

In addition, there will be an automatically dimming interior mirror, the aforementioned adaptive LED headlights, B- and C-pillars finished in high-gloss black and higher-quality door trim. The second trim level is indeed not that much richer, were it not for the fact that it makes the car much more practical. For example, the sliding rear seat and height-adjustable loading floor that are not present in the basic version are present in the Techno.

As far as we are concerned, that version is worth saving for, even if only for a self-chosen color. The additional cost compared to the Equilibre is fairly small. If you prefer not to switch yourself, you will soon end up in a different price range than the €37,330 of the entry-level model suggests. This is also the case with the competition. Two examples: the Qashqai starts just under 37 grand, but with an automatic transmission it has to cost almost 43 grand and, for example, a Volkswagen Tiguan is only in the brochures with a starting price of almost €43,000. In that light, the Renault Austral – whether or not in Techno trim – is quite an excellent offer.