Louth Motors: Renault launch the Austral missile into the mid-size SUV market

Renault have launched an all-out assault on the mid-size SUV market with the new Austral.

It has quite a lot of firepower for the fight and for the first time ever I heard the words “no entry model” in the line-up of three models because the specification is so high.

Looks like Irish buyers want all the toys when it comes to buying a new car.

Price is always a strong persuader, and the cheapest “techno” model starts at €45,295.

The dearest model, the “iconic spirit Alpine” will cost you €52,295.

All are powered by a 3-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors fed from the 2kWh battery.
That arrangement provides 200hp.

What it also provides, it is claimed, is a range of 1,100 kms at a rate of 4.7 l/100km.

Renault claim it’ll drive 80% of the time using electric-only power on urban roads and I can’t wait to try and achieve that.

All the firepower above would be useless if the car wasn’t easy on the eye.

The Austral certainly is. Renault already sell the best-looking electric car with the Megane E-Tech so they have form, but the Austral doesn’t quite reach the bar set by the Megane.

Inside is where the real magic happens with one of the finest interiors in the sector.

New to me was the way they expressed the size of the displays fitted, all 984cm2 of it including the heads-up display.