The Renault Austral debuted early in 2022 as a replacement for the Kadjar. Now, the brand is working on a larger version with third-row seats. The new model reportedly goes by the name Grand Austral or Austral Espace.
This vehicle wears camouflage wrap all over the body, but we can see some of the details. The headlights look identical to those on the standard Austral. There are similarities in the shape of the grille and lower fascia. Not quite visible if Renault made a design change to the nose.
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In the profile, you can see how old this model is compared to the standard Austral. The rear overhang is longer to create additional space in the cab. The rear of the roof also has a more boxy look.
At the rear, it appears that the larger Austral shares the bracket-shaped taillights of the existing model. Both have bumpers rather than hiding exhaust pipes. The hatchback on the larger model has a more upright position.
While we don’t have photos of the interior, the similarity in styling on the outside suggests the two models may share elements of style in the cabin. This means there’s a digital instrument cluster and a portrait-oriented infotainment screen with physical buttons on the bottom.
The larger Austral reportedly shares the engine with the existing model. This means there is a turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder with the help of a mild hybrid that produces 130 horsepower (97 kilowatts). There is also a 1.3-liter four-cylinder mild hybrid engine that produces 140 hp (104 kW) with a six-speed manual or 160 hp (119 kW) with an automatic transmission. The E-Tech Hybrid uses a 1.2 liter engine that offers either 160 hp (119 kW) or 200 hp (149 kW).
Renault has traditionally used the name Espace for minivans. However, crossovers are increasingly common for moving people around. So, the company could reuse the moniker for this three-line model.
It is unclear when Renault will debut this larger variant of the Austral. We expect to see a bigger model in 2023.
