A New Face for a Quieter War
Pulling up to the high ridgelines of Bastorf lighthouse, the first thing I noticed wasn’t the landscape, it was the face of the Austral. And Renault has done something rather bold here. Gone is the soft anonymity of its predecessor. In its place stands a grille shimmering with Renault diamonds, flanked by headlights that look straight off the Rafale’s sketchpad. It’s sculpted, grown, up, almost regal. There’s an extra dash of hauteur now in the bonnet lines and even in the redesigned rear, wider, prouder, more intentional.
It may not shout, but it certainly knows it belongs. In Kühlung’s chilly spring mist, the new Austral looked like it was wrapped in an invisible cape of confidence. And it had every reason to be.
Cabin as Cocoon: Luxury in Silence
The real surprise, though, is what happens when you shut the door. Silence.
There are few better places to test NVH levels than the wind, brushed Kühlung hills, where gusts can whip down ridgelines without mercy. Renault’s engineers clearly anticipated such conditions. New engine mounts, a better, insulated firewall, acoustically laminated windows, and even wind, tunnel optimized side mirrors, every trick in the book was employed. And the result is astonishing. At 100 km/h, it’s eerily calm. No whooshing, no humming, no whining from the engine.
The new seats, more contoured and refined, invite you to sit back, breathe, and forget that the Austral is still in the budget, conscious part of the SUV market. There’s a whiff of something higher here. Something more… noble.
You glide. You don’t drive.
The Hybrid Dichotomy: Grace or Grit?
But then, inevitably, you put your foot down. And you’re reminded that serenity is a fragile thing.
The version I tested featured the full, hybrid setup: a 1.2, litre three, cylinder petrol engine paired with two electric motors and a modest 2 kWh buffer battery. The system output is a healthy 200 hp, and fuel consumption is just under 5 litres per 100 km. It sounds like a brilliant idea. But the reality is a touch conflicted.
The electric motors are a joy, responsive, buttery, and always ready to smoothen the experience. In town and at low throttle inputs, the Austral is sublime. It shuffles around Kühlungsborn village purely on electric power most of the time, with just the faintest electric hum audible. But press harder, maybe to make a quick overtake up the incline near Hohen Niendorf, and the charm shatters. The three, cylinder groans like it’s being forced out of a spa day to run a marathon.
That said, this hybrid Austral is still an ideal cruiser. If you’re not hunting for adrenaline but instead seeking a companion that understands stillness, it performs wonderfully. There’s an effortless elegance when you just let it be what it wants to be, a calm, collected, graceful mover.
Four, Wheel Steering: French Twist to German Curves
What saved the drive from going too soft, though, was the Austral’s brilliant 4Control Advanced four, wheel steering system. Few compact SUVs have it, and fewer still do it this well. The whole 4.53, meter SUV felt like it was dancing through Kühlung’s tight village lanes like a Clio.
During a spontaneous coffee stop detour through the tight streets of Rerik, I pulled a U, turn on a street that would normally have me three, point turning with a scowl. But here? One flick, one arc. Done.
The rear wheels turn up to 5° and shrink the turning radius to a class, defying 10.1 meters. It’s not just practical, it’s fun. On longer sweeping roads, it makes the Austral feel tighter, more agile than its spec sheet would suggest. This is no wallowy SUV, it’s got muscle memory and poise. Not quite sporty, but alert in all the right places.
Practicality Never Forgotten
Of course, no amount of refinement matters if a family SUV forgets its job. Fortunately, the Austral doesn’t.
Slide the rear seats back by up to 16 centimeters and you get limousine, level legroom. Move them forward and unlock more trunk volume, between 565 litres and 1,761 litres depending on configuration. For my day trip, two camera bags, a folded Brompton bike, and a bag of local produce from the Kühlungsborn farmer’s market disappeared into the trunk with room to spare.
Storage, ease of loading, and flexibility, it all works, and it works intuitively. Even with the hybrid battery tucked beneath, Renault has managed to not sacrifice practicality. The rear seat sliding mechanism is buttery and can be adjusted with one hand, and there are clever underfloor storage compartments that swallowed up my cables and lens cases.
Technology That Enhances, Not Distracts
The Austral’s new OpenR infotainment system deserves a mention of its own. It’s Google, based, which means built, in Maps, Assistant, and Play Store access. But what truly impressed me was the responsiveness and integration.
I called out a voice command to navigate to a lesser, known beachside trailhead near Kägsdorf and it nailed it, voice recognition was flawless. The cluster display is crisp and modern, and unlike many rivals, Renault has kept tactile controls for volume and HVAC, which I deeply appreciated when driving over Kühlung’s uneven ridge sections.
The head, up display beamed speed and navigation directly into my line of sight, and unlike many systems that wash out in sunlight, this one stayed perfectly visible, even under the open skies of the coastal hills.
Conclusion: Noble, Not Noisy
Driving the facelifted Renault Austral in Kühlung felt like being part of a quiet revolution. It doesn’t try to make headlines. It doesn’t need to scream “premium.” It just is. Calmly, gracefully, and with more dignity than you’d expect in this segment.
Yes, the engine could do with a little more polish under hard throttle. But if you’re using the Austral the way most people will, daily drives, family road trips, the occasional twisty detour, it rewards you with serenity, flexibility, and clever technology.
In a sea of noisy contenders, the Austral doesn’t raise its voice. It raises its standards.
