In the wake of yesterday’s announcement of Kadjar’s change to the nickname Austral, our spies based in Spain came across a prototype of Renault’s next compact crossover. Annoyingly enough, the test vehicle still had full camouflage gear, but even so, we have a feeling that the Nissan Qashqai’s sibling model will look nothing like its predecessor.
The test vehicle seemed to hide a more pointed design in the same vein as the Mégane E-Tech Electric. Because it looks less inflated than the model it is about to replace, some might be tempted to believe that the Austral is smaller, but in reality it is about the same length as the Kadjar. In addition to announcing the vehicle’s name this week, the French marque revealed that the C-segment crossover will stretch to 4.51 meters, making it a bit longer than the model it replaces.
14 Pictures
Vertical slats on the upper and lower grilles suggest a larger front fascia, along with slimmer headlights and a lower front end making the Austral less bulbous up front. On the side, the new crossover appears to have a smaller greenhouse to give the vehicle a more dynamic profile at the expense of outward visibility.
Renault had to hide a good part of the rear lights as they are unlikely to be that small. The clusters probably extend over the tailgate as they do on the Megane electric crossover with its LED light bar divided in the middle by the diamond logo. This could be the case given the additional black camouflage tape applied to this prototype. Overall, the exterior appears to have more ridges than the Kadjar, which makes the Austral appear more athletic.
There are no interior shots in this set, but previous spy footage (attached above) revealed a completely redesigned dashboard to accommodate the vast real estate screen of the Mégane E-Tech Electric. Fortunately, the driver will have quick access to some functions thanks to a row of physical buttons mounted below the generously sized touchscreen. The prototype we saw had a six-speed manual transmission, but there will also be an optional automatic.
Engine options are a bit of a mystery at this point, and we’re especially interested in whether diesel will live to see a new generation, as Nissan ditched the oil burner for its latest Qashqai. Gasoline-powered powertrains will be joined by a hybrid, although it’s not clear whether it will have a charging port or not.
The official revelation is getting closer as Renault will put the Austral on sale across Europe from spring 2022.
