The smooth, organic shapes of the Kadjar are about to be replaced by the more formal and crisper lines of the Renault Austral.
Strip away the oversized alloy wheels, ignore the extremely low roof, and the teaser provides an accurate preview of the upcoming crossover.
It’ll be revealed on March 8, 2022.
The Austral’s face is clearly inspired by the Megane E-Tech Electric, and features an upright front bumper with C-shaped headlights linked by a chrome bar.
Unlike the all-electric Megane E-Tech, the Austral will be sold exclusively with electrified petrol engines, and as such has an upper and lower grille.
Renault has confirmed the Austral will be available with a 1.2-litre engine coupled to a 48V mild-hybrid system, and a 1.3-litre motor with a 12V mild-hybrid setup.
This isn’t the first teaser Renault has issued for its new crossover. At the beginning of the year the company released photos of the car in full camouflage wrap, showing off its upright and mature silhouette.
It has since released a sketch of the car’s interior with a large portrait infotainment touchscreen, digital instrumentation display, and flat-bottom two-spoke steering wheel.
While the door cards and dashboard design in the sketch should carry over into production, the heavily bolstered seats are unlikely to make the transition.
The Austral will be sized between the Captur and Koleos, and will replace the Kadjar in the company’s European range. Despite its name, the Austral has not been confirmed for sale in Australia.
If the Austral is only made in Europe and China, pricing and right-hand drive availability could mean it won’t be available Down Under.
Locally the Kadjar was discontinued in February 2021 after just one year on sale. It was replaced by the Arkana coupe crossover, which is built in South Korea by Renault Samsung.
