Renault Austral (2025 - ) review

The Austral is only available as a full hybrid and Renault has yet to confirm the UK pricing, yet we expect a starting price of around £35,000 rising to £39,000 for range-topping trim. This is in line with the e-Power version of the Qashqai and the hybrid Kia Sportage, plus it falls neatly under the “expensive car” threshold for the VED. We previously lived with an Austral and were very impressed with its efficiency as it regularly managed over 50mpg. However, unlike versions of the Rafale, you can’t plug the Austral in, making it less appealing to company car drivers looking make the most of Benefit In Kind incentives. Another consideration is tyres for hybrid cars can be expensive to replace – which is something we learnt the hard way!

Renault has fared better in recent reliability surveys than it did in the past. Our experience of living with the Austral was a positive one and a faulty interior light was the only niggle we encountered. The Austral shares its underlying foundations with the Nissan Qashqai and the hybrid system is tried and tested across the Renault and Dacia range. However, Renault only offers a three-year warranty as standard. This can be extended for a fee, but it is less generous than brands such as Kia or MG which both provide seven years of cover.

The Austral comes with up to 32 advanced driving assistance systems including emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, traffic sign recognition, a speed limiter, adaptive cruise control, and blind spot monitoring. While some of these features are genuinely helpful, others can be overly sensitive and so we appreciate Renault’s configurable ‘My Safety’ switch which allows you to quickly turn off any systems you find too intrusive. We also like how all cars come with a reversing camera and all-around parking sensors and particularly enjoyed the large head-up display which is available on higher grades of trim and means you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to see important information.

Renault has made several tweaks to the Austral aiming to improve comfort. This includes adding more sound proofing and introducing a laminated front windscreen to reduce wind noise. Inside the seats look almost identical but now have more lumbar and shoulder support, plus the suspension has had an overhaul too. Our test car provided ample comfort on our route around the smooth roads of Barcelona and coped reasonably well with the few rough surfaces we encountered. That said, our car was fitted with four-wheel steering altering the way the car rides and handles. We won’t be getting this feature in the UK (although it was previously available), so we will reserve final judgement on ride quality until we have driven the Austral on home turf. There’s plenty of space, though, and we liked the driving position, which felt more connected to the car than we experienced in the Symbioz. In the back there’s room for two adults and even three would be fine for shorter journeys. The boot is a good size, and the sliding rear seats improve flexibility, though you’ll find more space in rivals like the Kia Sportage.

The Austral is available with three trim levels – Techno, Techno Esprit Alpine and Iconic Esprit Alpine – all of which get a generous amount of kit. Renault’s infotainment is one of the best in the business thanks to the user-friendliness of the Google-powered screen. The driver gets a large digital display and there’s also a 12-inch central touchscreen, yet most of the heating functions are controlled using the physical toggles below – a huge plus point for the Austral. There’s the usual wireless CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and keyless entry as standard, plus nice to haves like climate control and ambient lighting. However, you’ll have to move up a grade to gain heated seats and a heated steering wheel. Top of the range cars gain a 360-degree camera, a panoramic sunroof and a Harman Kardon sound system.

The Austral combines a small turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine with a battery and motor, resulting in a surprisingly nippy 200 horsepower. Despite the presence of a complicated clutchless gearbox, the Astral is easy to drive, smooth around town and has enough power to confidently overtake on the motorway. Yes, the Austral can become raucous when you put your foot down, but the hybrid system is noticeably more responsive than the configuration you’ll find in the Symbioz. The driving modes vary the car’s behaviour with ‘Eco’ being the most efficient while ‘Sport’ mode packs more of a punch. We like the paddles behind the steering wheel which allow you to change the regenerative braking strength. This helps the Austral to run in pure electric mode for a chunky amount of the time without needing to fire up the petrol engine.