Renault Austral

The Renault Austral is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) manufactured and marketed by Renault. It was unveiled in March 2022 as a successor to the Kadjar, and built on the third-generation CMF-CD platform. It was publicly exhibited for the first time at the 2022 Paris Motor Show. Production began in July 2022 in Spain at the Palencia plant.

Its derivatives include the sixth-generation Renault Espace, a long-wheelbase family-oriented version of the Renault Austral with three-row seating, and the Renault Rafale, a coupé SUV. The three vehicles are sharing 75 percent of their parts.

Overview
The "Austral" name was derived from the Latin word "australis", and has been trademarked since 2005.

The Austral carries the new retro-inspired logo, the LED lights are in Renault's C-Shape signature, while the cockpit is in the form of an entirely digital "L", in order to "surround the driver". A long LED strip joins the logo on either side of the tailgate. The Austral adopts Renault's new design, called Sensual Tech.

According to Agneta Dahlgren, Renault design project director, "the result is materialized by the combination of generous shapes, curved shoulders, projecting sides and the integration of subtle technical details such as high-tech headlamps. which reinforce its identity design”.

The dashboard of the Austral, called OpenR, is largely inspired by that of the Megane E-Tech, but the layout is slightly revised.

Safety
In autumn 2022, the Austral was tested for automotive safety by Euro NCAP, receiving five stars out of five.

Renault Espace
Unveiled on March 28, 2023, the sixth-generation Espace is heavily based on the Austral, sharing most of the body panels including the front end.

It features an extended wheelbase and is available in five and seven-seater versions. It is 140 mm shorter in length and 215kg lighter than the previous generation.

The Renault Espace will be available to order from spring 2023, and will be produced at the Palencia plant in Spain alongside the mechanically related Austral. However, it will not be available in the UK market.

Renault Rafale
The Rafale (codenamed DHN) is a coupe SUV unveiled on June 18, 2023 at the 54th Paris Air Show in Le Bourget.

While sharing the CMF-CD underpinnings with its Austral and Espace counterparts, it features a distinctive design with unique body panels, being the brand's first production vehicle designed entirely according to the new visual language penned by Gilles Vidal.

The Rafale is named after the C.460 Rafale monoplane introduced in 1934 by the Caudron-Renault aviation company, although the name was also used more recently on the Dassault Rafale fighter jet. The car received a new plug-in hybrid powertrain with 300 hp and all-wheel drive by installing an electric motor at the rear.

Awards
The Renault Austral received the Autobest 2023 trophy, awarded by a jury from 31 European countries.