New hybrid family SUV replaces the Kadjar, but is it good enough to beat its key rivals? On sale November Price from £35,000 (est)
Max Adams Max.Adams@haymarket.com
SOMETIMES IT’S REFRESHING to have a clear-out and start afresh. With the Austral, Renault is doing just that – chucking out the petrol-only Kadjar and replacing it with a shiny new family SUV that’s available only with hybrid engines.
We’ve driven the full hybrid version, which fits between the equivalent Ford Kuga and Kia Sportage in terms of performance while delivering lower emissions and better fuel economy. Its turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine works with an electric motor to produce 199bhp (more than the 190bhp full hybrid Kuga). The 2kWh battery should allow you to drive using just the motor for longer than the Sportage’s 1.49kWh unit.
The Austral always sets off on battery power and can get to around 60mph on electricity alone if you’re gentle with the accelerator. Most of the time, though, after a firm surge of electric acceleration, the engine kicks in to provide more pace. Unfortunately, when you need a blast of power to overtake or join a motorway, the automatic gearbox is very slow to react, leaving a huge gap between you pushing the pedal and the car gaining speed. The hybrid Sportage is far more immediate.
The steering is pleasingly accurate as far as family SUVs go, and if you opt for ‘4Control’ four-wheel steering, the turning circle is cut to 10.1m (the much smaller Renault Captur needs 11.1m). This makes the Austral far easier to manoeuvre in car parks but doesn’t turn it into something that’s fun to hurl into corners. This is a tall car with softer suspension than most rivals, so if you’re ham-fisted with the steering wheel, the body will lurch disconcertingly as you change direction. When you’re gentle, it’s much more predictable.
The pay-off is a generally comfortable ride. On the 20in wheels fitted to our high-spec test car, the Austral feels settled on the motorway, but impacts from potholes can be felt a bit too readily around town. Smaller, 18in wheels are likely to improve low-speed suppleness. There’s some wind noise around the big door mirrors, and a bit of thrum and vibration from the engine, but it’s quieter than the Sportage when pushed.
The driver’s seat has lots of adjustment, and there’s plenty of head and leg room up front for six-footers. There’s a sliding rear bench, to give passengers in the back more leg room than in the Sportage, b
