Photo: Renault
Back in December 2021, we found out that Renault has decided to retire the Kadjar nameplate. Instead, they cooked up a new Austral moniker for their next-generation compact crossover SUV.
Along with a densely-packed teaser marketing campaign. After the French automaker spilled the beans on the new Austral name, it was time for a soft unveiling, with the high-riding vehicle still clad in heavy layers of camouflage. Now it is time for the company designers to showcase their CGI skills.
First with last month’s initial cockpit sketch, and now with the last sneak peek before the digital world premiere takes hold on March 8th. Renault dubs their new Austral as an all-new SUV that is “athletic, sensual and technological, and comes with all the SUV hallmarks.” Well, those are some big shoes to fill, if you ask us.
As always, the exterior styling sketch is probably a little exaggerated. Those massive wheel arches and especially the sporty front fascia do not feel the same as seen on the camouflaged prototypes. Naturally, this more aerodynamic shape still gives us additional hints towards setting all the pieces of the puzzle together.
And we can all see through the poetic license towards the borrowed styling DNA. Clearly, Renault’s Austral has taken inspiration from the newly introduced Megane E-Tech Electric battery-electric subcompact crossover SUV. Frankly, that is not a dreadful thing at all.
“We designed all-new Austral’s exterior based on the Renault brand’s ‘sensual tech’ language. The result is a combination of generous shapes, curving shoulders, projecting sides, and subtle technical details. Such as the high-tech lights, which strengthen its distinctive design,” explains Agneta Dahlgren, Renault’s Design Project Director.
Naturally, we are also extremely interested in the powertrain details. However, those are locked under protection for now. Alas, we can always speculate that Austral will share many bits and pieces with the newly introduced third-generation Nissan Qashqai. However, the engines might differ ever so slightly, just to keep Renault’s pride intact.
First with last month’s initial cockpit sketch, and now with the last sneak peek before the digital world premiere takes hold on March 8th. Renault dubs their new Austral as an all-new SUV that is “athletic, sensual and technological, and comes with all the SUV hallmarks.” Well, those are some big shoes to fill, if you ask us.
As always, the exterior styling sketch is probably a little exaggerated. Those massive wheel arches and especially the sporty front fascia do not feel the same as seen on the camouflaged prototypes. Naturally, this more aerodynamic shape still gives us additional hints towards setting all the pieces of the puzzle together.
And we can all see through the poetic license towards the borrowed styling DNA. Clearly, Renault’s Austral has taken inspiration from the newly introduced Megane E-Tech Electric battery-electric subcompact crossover SUV. Frankly, that is not a dreadful thing at all.
“We designed all-new Austral’s exterior based on the Renault brand’s ‘sensual tech’ language. The result is a combination of generous shapes, curving shoulders, projecting sides, and subtle technical details. Such as the high-tech lights, which strengthen its distinctive design,” explains Agneta Dahlgren, Renault’s Design Project Director.
Naturally, we are also extremely interested in the powertrain details. However, those are locked under protection for now. Alas, we can always speculate that Austral will share many bits and pieces with the newly introduced third-generation Nissan Qashqai. However, the engines might differ ever so slightly, just to keep Renault’s pride intact.
Google News