Renault Austral Review & Prices

The Renault Austral is a stylish, hybrid-powered family SUV that majors on its high-tech interior and low running costs. It makes its case with a smart cabin, Google-based infotainment and a clever self-charging hybrid engine, but the suspension is very firm so it’s not really comfortable enough for the UK’s pockmarked roads.

The Austral is a bit like shopping at a designer outlet store. You get something that looks and feels rather posher than the price tag suggests, but there are a few compromises hiding behind the glossy exterior.

There is no shortage of SUVs that the Austral has to go up against, with alternatives including the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Peugeot 3008 and Volkswagen Tiguan. At the same time, cheaper Chinese alternatives such as the Jaecoo 7 and Geely Starray are pushing in on the Austral’s territory from below.

The Austral was substantially facelifted in 2025 and now looks a lot like the larger Renault Rafale. That means slim headlights with half-diamond daytime running lights, plus a large and distinctive grille with diamond motifs throughout. The rest of the car is a bit less eye-catching, but it’s still quite handsome.

The interior wasn’t changed much for the facelift but that’s no bad thing, as it’s one of the best in the class. The two screens for driver information and infotainment are a sensible size, and the latter is angled towards the driver. Better yet, it runs a Google-based software package, which means it’s as easy to use as your smartphone, with built-in Google Apps including Maps and the Gemini-powered Google voice assistant.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, but the built-in software is so good you genuinely don’t need them.

Material quality is also great. What harder plastics there are, are generally tucked away where you won’t touch them, and all the main surfaces look and feel nice and plush. Top-spec Esprit Alpine versions have sportier upholstery and detailing without going too overboard. It’s smart enough inside to make some more expensive SUVs feel a bit ordinary.

Practicality is decent rather than outstanding. Storage upfront is plentiful but a bit awkward, like the sliding centre console which fouls the cupholders. All models get a sliding rear bench letting you balance passenger space and luggage room, but even with it all the way back there’s a reasonable 527 litres of space - bigger than a Qashqai but nowhere near the Kia Sportage or VW Tiguan’s 600+ litre spaces.

There’s enough room for adults to get comfortable in the rear, too, though it’s tighter inside than a Geely Starray. And with the seat slid forward, while you do get a bigger boot, you also lose almost all of the legroom.

The Austral only gets one engine option in the UK. It’s a self-charging hybrid based around a 1.2-litre petrol engine with two electric motors and a small battery. It’s complicated, and you can feel the power shuffling around the different sources especially under hard acceleration, but it is extremely efficient - more than 60mpg is genuinely possible if you drive carefully, which is impressive from a car this size.

Drive gently and the hybrid system is smooth enough, though not as seamless as the e-Power setup on a Nissan Qashqai. What’s not so smooth is the suspension, which is too firm for pockmarked tarmac. Your passengers will wince as it thuds over potholes and speed bumps.

It’s not especially sporty in response, either. The steering is very nice - lightweight and accurate - but it doesn’t encourage you to press on. Don’t be fooled by the fancy-looking Esprit Alpine variants, either, as they’re just a visual upgrade.

Verdict

If the Renault Austral’s suspension could deal with the demands of the Great British road network, it would be a much easier car to recommend - it’s economical, refined, roomy enough and has a fantastic interior. Unfortunately it’s just not comfortable enough for the class it’s competing in, especially as its price is on the higher side.

If you want a great price for this family-friendly SUV, check out our best Renault Austral deals on Carwow here. You can find used Australs for sale here, or see other used Renaults for sale here. And remember that Carwow’s the place to be if you’re car-changing, as we can get you the best price when you sell your old car through our network of trusted dealers.

The Renault Austral costs from £35,495, rising to £38,995 for the most expensive version. That initially looks fairly punchy, but every Austral comes with the same 200hp self-charging hybrid engine and an automatic gearbox, so it makes more sense to compare it with hybrid versions of other family SUVs rather than their cheaper petrol models.

Do that and the price looks pretty competitive. A Nissan Qashqai e-Power starts at £34,875, as does the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, while the Kia Sportage Hybrid costs from £34,895 and the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid £34,945. The Renault is therefore a few hundred pounds more than all four, but compensates with an excellent standard infotainment system and plenty of equipment.

There are just three trim levels. Techno gets 19-inch alloy wheels, wireless phone charging and adaptive cruise control, so it’s not exactly lacking, but the Techno Esprit Alpine adds 20-inch wheels, heated front seats and a really handsome exterior makeover. The Iconic Esprit Alpine gets a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree cameras, Matrix LED headlights and a Harman Kardon sound system, but does cost just under £39,000.

Hybrid engine is great around town and the Austral is comfortable on the motorway, but it’s too bumpy at low speeds

In town

The Renault Austral feels generally well-suited to driving in town. The hybrid engine is smooth most of the time, with the electric motor taking you away from the line smoothly and the engine cutting in a bit later. It’s less hesitant than most automatic petrol or diesel SUVs, like a Skoda Karoq, and going around at low speeds on electric power alone is hushed.

Visibility is pretty good thanks to large wing mirrors, and all models get a rear-view camera - though the rear window is a little narrow.

The most irritating thing around town is the suspension. There’s no option for adaptive suspension like you get on a Volkswagen Tiguan, and as a result the Austral is too firm all the time - whether you’re on the base model with its slightly smaller wheels or the top-spec car with its big ones. The comfortable seats do take the edge off, but it’s still annoying hitting lumps and bumps at low speeds.

Earlier versions of the Austral were available with Renault’s clever 4Control rear-wheel steering, which gave this family SUV an impressively tight turning circle. That system isn’t offered on the current UK model, so you now have a more conventional setup with an 11.4-metre turning circle. It’s still easy enough to manoeuvre, but it has lost one of the original Austral’s most unusual tricks.

On the motorway

Some hybrid cars feel a little out of their depth on the motorway but the Austral doesn’t at all. With 200hp on tap, it’s plenty powerful enough, and thanks to excellent fuel economy and a decent-sized fuel tank you’ll be able to go a good distance between fill-ups, not always a given with hybrid cars like this.

The hybrid system can feel a little weird when you put your foot down - the electric motor takes over while the complex gearbox changes ratios, but this can take a while and results in a slightly lumpy power delivery. It’s only noticeable under full throttle, though, which you’ll rarely need to use.

The Austral’s 1.2-litre petrol engine is hushed at a cruise and though tyre noise is audible, wind noise is admirably well-contained. The assisted driving features are also pretty well-behaved, with lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control that actually take the sting out of long trips rather than introducing a whole new annoyance.

On a twisty road

The Austral’s design may be sporty - especially if you opt for one of the trim levels that’s covered in Alpine badging - but it’s not sporty to drive. The steering is light and doesn’t really offer any feedback, and while the suspension is firm it does lean a fair bit in the bends.

The driving modes don’t make much difference - in Sport you’ll notice that the engine holds onto its revs for a bit longer, but the steering doesn’t really weight up much. As with motorway driving, if you put your foot down then the slightly odd power delivery of the complex hybrid system comes to light, but if you’re more gentle then it’s perfectly fine.

Good storage for small items, but only average rear seats and quite a small boot

Practicality is hugely important for family SUVs and here the Austral is a bit of a mixed bag. Very tall drivers might find the seat doesn’t go quite far back enough for them, but most everybody else will be able to get perfectly comfortable in the front. Top-spec models get electric adjustment for the seats, too, while the panoramic sunroof adds a nice feeling of spaciousness.

Big door bins and a reasonably roomy glovebox provide good storage, and there’s a deep cubby under the central armrest too. The centre console has two cupholders, though they’re set quite deep and a little awkward to access. There’s also a hidden storage area underneath the sliding armrest, but you can’t access this if you’ve anything in the cupholders.

Space in the back seats

With the moveable rear bench, you can choose to prioritise room for passengers or storage. If you go for the latter, you get just enough legroom for an adult behind a driver of average height, while headroom is okay even when the panoramic roof is in place. Moving the bench back enhances the legroom and you’ll be comfortable on a long drive.

The middle seat is slightly raised but the seat base is squidgy for you to get comfortable. Three adults across the back will be squeezed a bit, but children will have enough space.

Storage in the back is a touch smaller than in the front, but you get decent door bins and nets on the seat backs, while USB-C ports offer charging for portable devices. There are two Isofix points in the outer rear seats, plus an additional one in the front passenger seat.

Boot space

With the sliding rear bench, you get between 430 and 575 litres of space in the boot. The former figure is a bit pokey compared to alternatives, and the bigger one means you lose most of your rear legroom. You don’t get much underfloor space, while the lip to load things over is a bit deep.

The Kia Sportage offers 587 litres like-for-like with the hybrid Austral, while the ever-popular Nissan Qashqai’s offering is smaller at 504 litres with the e-Power model. The Hyundai Tucson in self-charging hybrid form has 616 litres, while the eHybrid version of the Volkswagen Tiguan has 476 litres.

While folding the rear seats down offers you up to 1,455 litres, the space itself isn’t the most practical. There’s a ridge between the boot floor and the folded seat backs, so sliding things through is very awkward indeed.

A stylish, well-built and easy to use cabin, but a bit dark without the panoramic sunroof

Renault’s really scoring highly with its interiors of late, and the Austral is no exception. It feels like an ideal blend of high-tech and user-friendly, and build quality is high too.

All models get a trio of screens. The driver’s display is 12.3-inches across and while it’s not quite as customisable as the one you get on premium offerings like a BMW X3 or VW Tiguan, it’s clear and bright with all the information you could reasonably want. Above this sits a 9.3-inch head-up display, which gives you essential info projected onto your windscreen so you don’t need to refocus your eyes.

The infotainment screen is portrait-oriented and 12.0-inches across, which is a really good size - it dominates the cabin but doesn’t extend obnoxiously into your eyeline like the massive display on the Volkswagen Tiguan does. Better yet, Renault’s maintained a good number of physical buttons - there’s a row of climate controls under the screen, and some shortcut buttons the other side of the steering wheel - including one that lets you customise the car’s safety equipment quickly.

There’s also Renault’s trademark stereo controller protruding from a stalk behind the wheel, but added to the indicator and wiper stalks as well as the drive selector, this does make the steering column rather busy.

The best thing about the interior tech is that Renault’s infotainment runs the Android operating system. Not only is this easy to use - just like a phone, really - but it gives you access to native apps like Google Maps and Spotify, as well as the best voice recognition software in the business.

There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, and a wireless charging pad in the central armrest.

Material quality throughout is very nice, and Esprit Alpine models get attractive blue stitching and faux-suede panels. The one criticism is that all models are unrelentingly monochrome - a lighter colour option would be nice, as the Austral can be very dark if you don’t have a model with the panoramic sunroof.

The Austral’s 200hp E-Tech full hybrid is officially capable of up to 60.1mpg, and that’s a figure that’s actually possible in real life with careful driving. Even if you’re a bit heavier-footed you should find 50mpg perfectly possible.

That remains impressive for a petrol-powered SUV of this size, particularly because the Austral doesn’t need plugging in. The small battery is constantly topped up through regenerative braking, allowing the car to switch its engine off surprisingly frequently in slower traffic. The latest Nissan Qashqai does come close to the Austral for everyday economy, but a Volkswagen Tiguan or Kia Sportage can only match it if you opt for the pricey plug-in hybrids and charge up regularly.

CO2 emissions keep the Austral’s first-year tax bill relatively modest compared with conventional petrol SUVs, although a plug-in hybrid will still make much more sense as a company car.

All three standard Austral trim levels cost less than £40,000, so they avoid the expensive car supplement unless factory options push the car’s list price over the threshold.

Renault Austral Euro NCAP score (2022) 5/5

Adult occupant: 88%
Child occupant: 83%
Vulnerable road users: 69%
Safety assist: 87%

Tested by Euro NCAP, the Renault Austral has a five-star safety rating, scoring especially well in occupant and safety assist categories – all above 80%. For the assists on this car, you have up to 30 systems to make your driving experience as safe as possible.

As standard, you get lane keep assist and departure warning, traffic sign recognition, blind spot warning, active emergency braking, driver attention alert and distance warning alert. We found the warnings to be fairly inoffensive, but Renault does allow you to configure your own settings for which safety features are on or off, and activate them with just two button presses - much easier than diving through touchscreen menus.

You can get the Austral with adaptive cruise control and traffic jam assist to make longer drives easier.

You also get three ISOFIX points throughout the cabin, while there’s also airbags all around and an immobiliser.

Renault performed strongly in the 2026 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, finishing ninth out of 30 manufacturers with a score of 85.59%. Owners were particularly positive about running costs and value for money, although drivetrain smoothness was one of the brand’s weaker areas. The Austral itself didn’t place in the survey’s top 50 cars.

Renault’s warranty is typical of alternatives at just three years and 60,000 miles of cover. However, opt for a Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage and you get five or seven years of warranty respectively, while the Toyota RAV4 has up to 10 years. The Austral gets a separate battery warranty of eight years and 100,000 miles, guaranteeing it to at least 67% - that’s typical of most alternatives.