There are changes coming in Irish motoring with confirmation that Cedar Ireland will shortly be taking over distribution of Renault cars and vans and Dacia cars in Ireland. The Cedar group already own Nissan Ireland and the Windsor Motor group. When Bill Cullen lost the Renault franchise in 2012 distribution of their cars reverted to the French owners.
Over the past few years Renault has produced some great cars like the Clio, Captur, Kadjar, Megane and of course they also own the ‘shockingly affordable’ Dacia range. Apparently the Cedar group were also attracted to the range of vans available from the Renault stable.
Now comes the Austral, which replaces the Kadjar and believe me it’s a frugal motor. When I picked up my Iron Blue test car the range with a full tank of petrol the range was 730km; that figure was probably based on the driving habits of the previous driver. The driving mode automatically switches to ‘Comfort’ but if you select Eco then you will see that range grow.
Renault say that you can get up to 1,100km driving range and I think this is a realistic figure. You can see on the infotainment screen when you are in EV mode and I believe Renault’s claim that up to 80% of driving time on urban roads is possible in full-electric mode from this 1.2-litre turbo engine.
It took three or four days of driving before I saw the range limit drop below 700km, which was very, very impressive.
The Austral has similar exterior dimensions to the Kadjar, but there is more room inside for passengers, thanks to a longer wheelbase. It’s the third strand in the brand’s new generation of electrified vehicles, joining the Arkana and the Megane E-Tech Electric.
I drove the top of the range Esprit Alpine version which had beautiful Alcantara trim inside. However found the interior was a bit dark, but the blue stitching and sun-roof did brighten the décor. The Iron Blue was complimented with a Diamond Black roof and 19-inch Komah alloys completed the classy look.
There is plenty of room for three well-built passengers in the back seat and a boot that offers 555 litres of cargo capacity is also top notch, but no spare wheel.
Apart from the impressive range, what I will remember from the Austral is a gadget located between the driver and front seat passengers. It slides back and forward and partly covers the cup holders. It reminded me of that old contraption that shops and restaurants used to use for credit cards in the days before chip and pin.
As usual with Renault the car automatically locks when you walk away and the doors will open again when you approach the car, once the key fob is in your pocket or handbag. I also loved the finger-tip controls for the radio on the slave controls to the right of the steering wheel; no need to take your eye off the road while changing radio stations or adjusting the volume.
At the Irish launch in July, Paddy Magee, Country Operations Director for Renault Group Ireland said: “The launch of all-new Austral E-Tech full hybrid is a key milestone within our Renaulution strategy, which aims to conquer the mid-sized family SUV market and offer our customers a vehicle that combines technology, eye-catching design plus a great electrified driving experience.’’
Prices start at €45,295 or €379 per month on PCP. Road tax is €180. Really, who needs a fully electric car with those range anxiety worries when you can drive in comfort in Eco mode in the Austral, which means very few pit stops.
