Renault has published video teasers revealing the Austral name and a few more details on the upcoming C-SUV that will replace the Kadjar in 2022. The new name was registered by Renault back in 2005 and is derived from the Latin word “australis”. According to Sylvia Dos Santos, head of naming strategy at Renault, the Austral is a world that resonates in many European languages: “Austral conjures up the vibrancy and heat of the southern hemisphere. It’s a name that invites travel and is perfect for an SUV. Its harmonious balance of sounds that are easy to pronounce and international.”
The teaser is showing part of the
Austral’s tailgate revealing LED taillights that are similar to the smaller
Captur. As we know from the spy pictures, the Austral will boast a traditional
SUV silhouette and feature a massive infotainment screen similar to the one
used on the fully electric Megane E-Tech. Renault has confirmed that the
Austral will be a five-seater, measuring 4.51 meters which makes
it slightly larger than the 4.45 m long Kadjar.
The new Renault Austral is expected to
share most of its underpinnings with the current Nissan Qashqai and the Nissan
X-Trail / Rogue. Its length places it in between those models, with the Renault
likely offering more cargo room than the slightly shorter Qashqai but not
having the seven-seat layout of the longer X-Trail. It is also expected to
offer an electrified engine range, including a plug-in hybrid variant.
The Renault Austral will go on sale in
spring 2022, so we expect a full reveal prior to that date.
