The newer version of the Renault Kadjar is called the Renault Austral. The five-door SUV is based on the Renault Mégane E-Tech electric car. However, it has only a full hybrid engine.

A large number of names can be found in the Renault model dictionary. Names like Avantime, Vel Satis, Safrane, and Fluence are examples of recent fads that have largely disappeared from popular culture. However, when the Renault model failed to perform as well with customers as the Parisian management had hoped, they decided to give it a new name. Unfortunately, the SUV Kadjar is the latest victim of this trend. Since he could not create a successful marketing campaign, the company has retired the name in favor of "Austral."

What, an Australian-made Renault? The name does not indicate the compact SUV's ancestry. There is a decline in the use of the word "austral" for "southern" in current dictionaries. In Renault's terms, this is meant to represent the limitless potential of the American South. Let's see if customers agree in September 2022, when the Austral hits showroom floors. French automaker Renault's top executive, Luca de Meo, puts it less poetically: "The Renault Austral is the best embodiment of everything an SUV of this size must-have." Probably what he's referring to are the sleek curves and subtle swoosh of the roof, which culminate in a spoiler at the top of the back window.

The front end is more robust and looks like the Renault Mégane E-Tech; it has the characteristic radiator grille above and below the bumper. The LED daytime running lights on an Austral should be recognizable by their signature curved strip that begins above the headlights and ends in the frontal center.

The driver's in-front and center-dashboard screens become one seamless display. Plenty of screen real estate is available, with the main display and the HUD. Depending on your options, the Renault Austral shines with high-quality materials that aren't always standard in this class, such as wood or carbon-look trim, quilted seat covers, and more.

Seating in the back is not cramped because of the ample room provided. Economy class passengers on low-cost airlines can only hope for legroom of nearly 28 centimeters. The same is true of the area behind the headliner or hair. It's possible to alter the depth of the back seats. Cargo capacity can be raised from the standard 430 to a maximum of 555 liters. A maximum of 1455 liters can be accommodated if the seatbacks are collapsed.

There are many improvements in the engine compared to the Renault Kadjar. Oddly enough, the new Renault slogan is "bye, diesel," even though this drivetrain has long dominated the market for vehicles in this category. A full hybrid, like the Prius or the Toyota Clio, should be fuel-efficient. Besides its three-cylinder, 1.2-liter turbo gasoline engine, this vehicle also uses an electric motor powered by a battery pack rated at 1.7 kWh. The combined output of the hybrid system is 146 kW (200 hp).

The battery is charged conventionally in a full hybrid by the internal combustion engine and regenerative braking. Renault claims that three full stops will fully recharge the battery. The Renault Austral is rumored to be 80 percent electric, making it 40 percent more fuel-efficient than a traditional combustion engine in city traffic.

For this, the French have given the two cheaper models with 140 and 160 hp a slight hybridization using a 48-volt onboard network (12 volts in the basic model) and a generator, which takes care of the supply of various electricity consumers and after the start-stop also for that restarting the petrol engine. However, significant fuel savings from these variants should not be anticipated.

In contrast to its antiquated drivetrain, the Renault Austral's online connectivity and advanced onboard aids bring it into the modern era of networking. Since he is always online, he can access many Google services, including apps, updates, and voice commands for adjusting certain features. The protection of up to 32 electronic assistants.

With the optional all-wheel-steering system, the vehicle's turning circle is cut down to 10.1 meters, saving the driver 1.4 meters. Optional features include LED matrix headlights, four-wheel drive, and other finery.

Renault has not yet released pricing information because there is still time before the product's launch in the market in September. However, as of the end of 2021, the base price of the previous generation Renault Kadjar was 30,600 euros, while the cost of the new generation was 28,600 euros. So maybe Renault just raised prices to match the Austral. You can use this information to estimate a purchase price of about 31,000 euros.

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