The Renault Austral has been spied testing in India for the first time, and uncamouflaged at that. Here’s all you need to know about it.

1. Renault Austral sits above Captur in the global line-up
2. Gets a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol hybrid
3. India to get all-new Duster next year

Currently sold in Europe, the Austral is essentially a five-seat petrol-hybrid SUV whose size is identical to the Tata Harrier, Mahindra XUV700 and MG Hector. Renault had launched it in 2022 as a replacement for the Kadjar. The Austral has a self-charging hybrid powertrain similar to the Maruti Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder.

Renault Austral spy shots: design

The SUV gets wraparound LED tail-lamps that extend to the middle, which has the ‘Austral’ branding, and right above it is Renault’s new logo. Other styling elements include LED headlamps with daytime running lamps similar to the ones seen on the Mahindra XUV700, a large grille with silver accents, and a sporty front bumper.

Renault Austral: powertrain

The Austral’s petrol-hybrid powertrain consists of a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine paired with an electric motor, and the combined output is 200hp. There is no confirmation from Renault regarding the Austral’s launch in India, however, the carmaker could be testing its hybrid powertrain in Indian conditions for a future product.

As we’ve reported, Renault is exploring a hybrid powertrain for the new India-bound Duster. While the Austral is based on Renault’s bigger CMF-C/D platform, the new Duster will be built on the smaller CMF-B platform. Renault’s partner Nissan will also use the CMF-B platform for its Duster-based midsize SUV. The seven-seater derivatives of both these models will follow, too.

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