Renault Austral review

This is Renault's attempt at a mid-size family crossover and therefore, given the popularity of these things currently, a big deal. It comes only as a full hybrid. That pitches it against the likes of the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai e-Power and Toyota RAV4.

How long has it been around for?

Renault actually designed the Austral to be launched in 2021, but then switched the sequence between this and the Megane E-Tech Electric, so the Austral didn’t actually arrive until mid-2022. However much crossovers matter, it seemed more urgent to get the electric hatch out there.

Fortunately, the Austral didn’t seem out of date as a result. It gave Renault extra time to hone the complicated powertrain. More on that in a bit. In April 2025 a facelift was announced after less than three years on sale.

What did they do with the facelift?

If you’ve read Automotive Facelifts for Dummies then you’ll probably alreadt know. It’s new lights and bumpers front and rear, plus a new recycled fabric for the seats inside. Essentially it brings the look in line with its coupe-ified sibling, the Rafale.

Renault has also refined its hybrid powertrain software to make the gearing smoother, and we’re told there are some tweaks to the damping to make the ride more comfortable.

What do you make of the looks?

It's a handsome thing, even if it inevitably finds it hard to stand out among a sea of other crossovers. Especially in profile. Still, it has a good solid stance, the high-spec UK cars running on big wheels. Fancy LED lighting lifts the front and rear views, with the facelift smooths everything out and simplifies the face.

And hybrid only?

Yes. It's Renault's geared hybrid system, E-Tech, in which you have a 1.2-litre petrol engine with a simple four-speed gearbox, plus an electric motor with two gears of its own. Those two have 15 different allowable permutations of drive, either combined or singly. In fact, it always starts off in electric drive because there's no clutch; another reason it's simple and light and compact. A second smaller electric motor starts the engine and synchronises the gearshifts.

In the smaller Renaults this hybrid setup runs at 280 volts and is paired with a basic four-cylinder engine. Here it gets 400V and a three-cylinder turbo, which is more powerful, torquey and apparently quieter. It improves the experience and gives a useful 197bhp combined, plus up to 58.9mpg on paper.

Even more significant if it's your company car: all versions, even on 20-inch wheels with the extra weight of four-wheel steering, score under 110g/km CO2. Its hybrid rivals are mostly around 125-130g/km.

What’s this I’ve heard about four-wheel steering?

Well, when it first arrived all Australs except the entry level version were treated to a four-wheel steering system that gave this family crossover a city car-like 10.1m turning circle. It also came with multi-link rear suspension and on first impressions we really rather liked it. It made the car easier to thread through cramped streets and multistorey ramps, as well as improving main road stability.

Unfortunately, in the summer of 2024 Renault decided that it would drop this 4Control as an option in the UK, so all cars over here now get an 11.2m turning circle and a simpler torsion beam rear suspension setup. That means less steering precision and more road noise.

What about the cabin?

It’s undoubtedly generously equipped, with a 9.3-inch head-up display, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12-inch infotainment display, offering in-built Google Maps, Google Assistant and Google Play store functionality, included as standard across all trims. It certainly all looks the part, with both screens bright and high in resolution, while user functionality is on par with, if not better than, the majority of rivals.

Otherwise it's decently roomy, while a sliding rear seat lets you share the legroom and boot space to suit, and there are some handy storage touches too. The trim and material quality is well up on most rivals too. Full details on the Interior tab.

How much does it cost?

With just the one powertrain option, the price list for an Austral is fairly easy to understand. The entry level Techno trim starts at £34,195. Head over to the Buying tab for the full lowdown.

Renault is aiming high here. You might have forgotten the Austral’s predecessor, the undistinguished and poor-selling Kadjar. This is a far better attempt, which is handy given it comes only as a £30k+ hybrid, with no cheap petrol manual.

But it's well trimmed, feels high tech, and uses little fuel. If you want a hybrid crossover, it's a good choice. If the hybrid part isn't important, you've got loads of other strong options, especially from the Stellantis and VW Groups. But even then the Austral holds its own in most ways.