The numbers are cruel.
Sales of the Renault Kadjar never managed to take off.
The qualities of the vehicle are not in question but SUV customers have always preferred the design of the Peugeot 3008. Last year, the Sochaux SUV retained its seventh place on the French market with 50,399 units when the Kadjar fell by eighteen places to settle in the thirty-seventh position in sales in France with only 11,338 units.
Even the Arkana, taking advantage of its coupe SUV line and its hybrid engine, did better by ranking 21st with 17,977 copies.
To discover
Our list of the best electric cars under 40,000 euros
What responsibility at the wheel of an “autonomous car”?
TIBO
Renault has not given up and, in the wake of its Mégane E-Tech Electric, whose performance has just been rewarded with second place in the Car of the Year trophy, it is unveiling the replacement for the Kadjar called Austral.
With this SUV whose name smells of wide open spaces, the Boulogne firm wants to seduce families and SUV enthusiasts.
Second model of the diamond firm launched under the era of Meo but first Renault designed on the CMF-CD platform of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, the Austral adopts the new stylistic codes introduced by the Mégane Electric.
The vehicle now fully assumes its SUV status with underbody protections, skids at the front and rear as well as highlighted wheel arches and accommodating wheels from 17 to 20 inches and 720 mm in diameter.
Advantage of the platform, the overhangs are reduced.
The Austral is further distinguished by its wide grille incorporating a horizontal chrome line that extends into the headlamps, a sculpted bonnet, curved shoulders and, at the rear, a lighting signature that spans the entire width of the window.
Around a wheelbase of 2.67 m, the Austral has gained a few centimeters compared to the Kadjar and the 3008. It measures 70 mm more, or 4.51 meters while the width reaches 1.83 m and that the height peaks at 1.62 m.
The inner revolution
@GREG
From the Mégane Electric, the Austral inherits its ergonomics and its man/machine interface.
Renault's SUV gives in to the modernism of large screens.
The 12-inch vertical central panel is a continuation of the 12.3-inch instrument screen.
It adds a head-up display.
As on the Mégane, the multimedia system works with the Google search engine, thus allowing access to the search engine's services and applications.
The finishes are really neat and depending on the versions, the customer will have the choice between mesh, leather and suede.
Applications in wood and black lacquer will enhance the finishes.
The Esprit Alpine version is distinguished by mixed suede-cloth upholstery, a leather and suede steering wheel with blue-white-red stitching, aluminum pedals and blue stitching.
Functional, the Austral has up to 35 liters of storage and modular rear seats.
The 2/3-1/3 rear bench seats can slide independently over 160 mm, depending on the version.
With the fixed bench seat combined with the Mild Hybrid and Mild Hybrid Advanced versions, the boot volume reaches 500 litres.
It gains up to 75 liters with the sliding seat.
Retracted rear seat, loading capacity reaches 1,525 litres.
Electrified engines
Without waiting for the details of the next Euro 7 standard, the Austral ignores diesel and only offers electrified engines based on engine downsizing.
The Renault SUV inaugurates a new E-Tech Hybrid engine combining an unprecedented 96 kW (130 hp) 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine (130 hp) and 205 Nm of torque with a 50 kW (68 hp) electric motor and 205 Nm of torque, a 1.7 kWh lithium-ion battery operating at 400 V, as well as the famous optimized multi-mode automatic gearbox with claws.
This technology will be available in two power levels: 160 and 200 hp.
Renault announces a normalized consumption of 4.6 l/100 km, which corresponds to CO2 emissions of 105 g/km, thanks in particular to the adoption of a seventh gear on the transmission.
@GREG
At the lower level, Renault will offer two mild hybridization engines, the 130 hp Mild Hybrid Advanced running on a 48 V battery and the latest 3-cylinder 1.2 liter turbo and the 12 V Mild Hybrid available in 140 and 160 hp with the 4-cylinder 1.3 liter turbo already equipping many models of the French manufacturer.
This is good news, four-wheel steering is making a comeback.
This technology contributes to maneuverability in town and agility on the road.
In town, the rear wheels are now able to turn up to 5 degrees in the opposite direction, instead of 3.5 previously, to the benefit of the turning radius.
With the 4Control Advanced system, the rear axle is of the multi-link type;
with torsion axle on two-wheel steering versions.
TIBO
