Renault Austral SUV

E-Tech Full Hybrid Iconic Esprit Alpine 5dr Auto [2026]

Like certain other manufacturers, Renault has been busy phasing out most of its traditional fleet in favour of a bunch of SUVs.

There is the Captur, Scenic, Symbioz and Rafale – while even the Megane, although technically not a crossover, has the same stance as its SUV siblings.

Granted, there are still some non-SUVs, such as the Clio and, of course, the exciting relaunch of the Renault 5 supermini; however, even the new Renault 4 E-Tech is now considered a crossover.

It is understandable, as people have been abandoning traditional hatchbacks and saloons in their droves in favour of larger, more practical family cars.

Renault’s Austral, itself a crossover SUV, is one of the newer cars hoping to win customers over.

It was launched in 2022 as a replacement for the Kadjar – yet it’s already the oldest car in the entire fleet, with Renault having replaced or overhauled every other model it manufactures since.

Despite what you may think, the name 'Austral' doesn't specifically refer to Australia as a nation, although there is a common link. ‘Austral’ derives from the Latin word ‘australis’, which translates to ‘southern’ – and the Oceanian nation gets its name from the same Latin word.

That said, Renault has stated that it wants people to think of the “vibrancy and heat of the south”, which implies a connection to Australia, at the very least. Mind you, it could just be talking about the ‘south’ of France for all we know.

Anyway, the Austral needs to make itself as appealing as possible, as this is a very crowded segment of the market.

Renault has just facelifted it, making a bunch of improvements, including updates to the suspension, which should boost ride comfort, as well as enhancements to the seats and an upgrade to the Austral's soundproofing.

But have these changes been effective?