Debuts With 1.2 L Petrol Turbo Hybrid
While Renault might be going through a transition phase in India, it still commands a decent presence overseas. The French carmaker has now taken covers off its upcoming C-segment SUV called Austral and aims to reconquer this space by replacing the outgoing Kadjar / Captur SUV.
Austral will be the first model from Renault to be underpinned by a brand new third-gen CMF-CD platform that has been co-developed alongside alliance partners Mitsubishi and Nissan. It will be manufactured at the carmaker’s facility based out of Palencia in Spain.
– Exterior Design
The upcoming SUV gets a completely new exterior styling since it is based on Renault’s new ‘sensual tech’ design philosophy which emphasizes sporty and elegant looks. Renault combines its new ’emotional technology’ with its latest design template with details like diamond-shaped LED headlamp clusters and LED taillights.
It features strong geometric lines with structural details like micro-optical technology at the rear. Getting into dimensions, the upcoming Renault SUV measures 4.51 metres long, 1.83 metres wide, and 1.62 metres tall, with a wheelbase measuring 2.67 metres.
Wheelbase has been stretched out as well. Boot capacity varies from 500 to 575 litres depending on whether it features a fixed or sliding rear bench. This is a size that is similar to that of mid size SUVs like Tata Harrier, MG Hector, Mahindra XUV700 – which are currently on sale in India.
Interior & Features on offer
Cabin of Austral brims with tech and premiumness. Top of the line Esprit Alpine trim gets premium seat upholstery featuring Alcantara with Nappa leather and twill fabric resembling carbon fibre. All-black theme of the cabin is spruced up by blue stitching on seats. Further, aluminium pedals and door sills featuring Alpine logo accentuates sportiness.
Coming to tech, Austral is loaded with creature comforts like a 12-inch vertical touchscreen infotainment display, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 9.3-inch head-up display, 360-degree camera and matrix LED headlights. Renault is offering a wide range of safety features under ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) with level 2 autonomy.
Multiple Powertrain Options
Austral will be offered multiple powertrain options in different states of tune. The first of them is a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine which is paired with a 48V mild-hybrid tech. This powertrain is described as a “genuine alternative to diesel” which features a belt-integrated starter-generator for an electric boost under load. It pushes out 128 bhp while being paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox.
In the E-Tech Hybrid model, the SUV is paired with a 1.7kWh, 400V lithium-ion battery and an intelligent clutchless transmission, this unit dishes out 197 bhp. There is also a 1.3-litre turbo petrol mill on offer which is mated to a 12V lithium-ion battery and a starter motor and can be had with either a six-speed manual or an X-Tronic CVT automatic transmission. With the manual setup, this unit kicks out 138 bhp and with CVT it pumps out 158 bhp.
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