New wave: Renault Austral crossover presented

Nouvelle Vague (that is, the “new wave”) is not another covid forecast, but a program recently adopted by Renault, according to which its models will be richer, more expensive and more prestigious. And in order to finally break the intergenerational connection between models, other names will be invented for new cars. The first in this series is the Renault Austral crossover.

Recall that the new name Austral was declassified in December and is not associated with either the astral or Australia. In fact, “Australian” is “southern”: from the word “australis”, which in Latin means “southern”. This name went to the heir to the European model Renault Kadjar, which did not have much success.

Externally, Austral is similar to the electric Renault Megane E-Tech, but with a higher body and traditional door handles. The Kajar format is preserved: it is still the same five-seater C-class crossover. The length increased by 60 mm (up to 4510 mm), the height – by 18 mm (up to 1618 mm), but the width of the Austral “shrunk” by 15 mm (up to 1825 mm). The wheelbase has grown by 20 mm and now stands at 2667 mm. In expensive versions, Renault Austral has matrix headlights and a two-tone body color, wheels of at least 17 inches.

The CMF-CD3 modular platform is the same as the third generation Qashqai, but in a more advanced version. Front-wheel drive versions have a semi-independent rear suspension, and all-wheel drive Aussies differ not only in multi-link, but also in a fully controlled 4Control Advanced chassis, which Nissan does not have. This is the development of the previous 4Control system, which appeared on the third generation Laguna. The drives can turn the rear wheels up to 5 degrees. At speeds up to 50 km/h, they turn in the opposite direction from the front ones, improving maneuverability (turning radius 10.1 m), and from a speed of 50 km/h they turn in the same direction as the front ones.

The developers claim that Austral has the most spacious rear row of seats in its class. For a surcharge, longitudinal adjustment is offered for it: two parts of the sofa, divided in a ratio of 60:40, can be shifted within 160 mm. Trunk volume is 500 liters for the basic version, 575 liters with the seats moved forward and 1525 liters with the rear sofa folded down. For the E-Tech hybrid, these values ​​will be lower. In addition, pockets and compartments with a total capacity of 35 liters are scattered throughout the cabin.

The interior trim uses soft plastic, Alcantara, leather and even wood veneer. Of course, we are talking about the top version. A 12.3-inch instrument display and a 12-inch vertical media tablet are located on the front panel with the OpenR logo. The OpenR Link media itself has the ability to be remotely updated “over the air”. Options include a 9.3-inch projection screen.

The massive handle on the central tunnel is just a decoration. An additional lever on the steering column takes over the control of the transmission, almost like a Mercedes. At the same time, the traditional wiper control lever was preserved, so the two-pedal Austral has two levers on the right under the steering wheel. There is a large Multi-Sense button on the steering wheel that changes driving modes. There are four by default: Eco, Comfort, Sport, and a custom Perso, but you can order an “off-road” Extended Grip package that adds Snow and All Roads presets.

There will be no fully electric version in the lineup, but all options are electrified in one way or another. The base Renault Austral has a 1.2 three-cylinder turbo engine (130 hp) and a 48-volt Mild Hybrid Advanced starter-alternator. Such crossovers are offered only with a manual transmission. The next step is a 1.3-liter turbo four with a simpler 12-volt Mild Hybrid starter-alternator. The version with the “mechanics” has 140 hp, and with the X-Tronic variator – 160 hp.

At the top of the range is the Renault Austral E-Tech full hybrid. Under the hood is a 1.2 turbo engine, which is aggregated with a three-shaft gearbox without synchronizers and clutches. Gears are switched by cam clutches, and possible jerks are smoothed out by electronics, which coordinate the speeds of the crankshaft of the gasoline engine and the traction motor installed after the gearbox. Front wheel drive, maximum system power 200 hp

Such a hybrid can start only with electric traction – the operation of the gasoline engine at idle is excluded, it can be connected after the start of movement. As planned, this design allows to reduce losses and reduce fuel consumption. The Renault Austral E-Tech is equipped with a modest 1.7 kWh traction battery running on 400 volts. On a pure electric drive, such a crossover will not go far, but the passport fuel consumption is still small – 4.6 l / 100 km.

Renault Austral can have adaptive cruise control with a lane keeping system, parking, panoramic cameras and a host of other driver assistants – there are 32 in total. A central airbag is deployed between the front and rear drivers, preventing them from colliding in an accident.

The Austral was also the first Renault model to offer the Esprit Alpine sports package (grey car in the photos). Although functionally it is the same RS Line as the existing models. The “Alpine brand spirit” includes a restyled grille, black trim, 20-inch wheels, blue interior stitching, carbon-look inserts and metal pedals.

Crossovers Renault Austral will be produced at the same plant in Spanish Palencia, where the current Kadjar is produced. The start of sales in Europe is scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year.