Louth Motors: Renault Austral: Fashionable car, unfashionable price

Some car brands go in and out of fashion very quickly but it's fair to say it is cyclical. When you are out of favour all the focus is on getting back in.

Renault at the moment is very much in and has a very enticing car range with a mix of propulsion methods.

The X4 lookalike, the Arkana, is the bestseller they have and quite deservedly so. They also have the Megane E-Tech which for me is the best-looking electric car on sale and has that all important on board 22kW AC charging ability that Renault need to champion/explain more.

The ever PaPa pleasing Clio is the chic small car preference for any person looking for what we called a small car and the Captur fights with the Peugeot 2008 as the compact SUV default choice. The Zoe is the small electric car which should sell more being ideal for urban/city living.

It cements my view that most of us buy cars not for our needs but for our wants. I won't go all green/carbon/evangelical on you, but this is something the environmentalists have been banging on for ages and is a message I have to say I agree with. Whether by pressure or choice, the return of the smaller car that's fit for purpose will happen and it's not too far away either.

Into the Renault line-up comes the new Austral which completely contradicts my small car claim above by being a compact SUV offering to go against the two titans in this space - the Kia Sportage and the Hyundai Tucson.

In Ireland these two have embedded themselves into our psyche and a bit like the Cranberries, "If everyone else is buying them, why don't I". The argument is quite compelling.

So, what has the Austral to offer to tempt you away? In the metal it looks like a really premium offering and presents itself at the higher end of the sector.

It is aimed at a buyer willing to pay a bit more and the range starts at just over €45k with three grades available.

That will have you in a full hybrid car with these proud headline figures from Renault - 200 hp, E-Tech full hybrid powertrain, up to 30 advanced driver-assistance systems, up to 555l boot capacity and 984 cm² of screen/heads up display space.

That's the first time, for me anyway, a manufacturer has boasted about screen area rather than its height and width.

The key hook here is that this hybrid model claims to have you driving using electricity for 80% of the time when in a city setting with an associated fuel claim of 4.7l/100kms, an impressively low figure for a car of its proportions.

That return calculated out translates to a range of 1,100 kms if you are light of foot. It will appeal to those wanting to reduce their emissions but not fully convinced to go all-electric which is not an insignificant number of buyers out there.

The power figure of 200hp is a combination of petrol (no diesel here) and electric power using two electric motors.

The battery is small enough being a hybrid at 2kWh and plays its part in delivering that 80% all-electric drive in the city.

200hp sounds a lot and I remember stating on a few occasion that 150hp is all you'd ever need. I don't know any more and feel the combining of power outputs is clouding the real ability of such a car.

What I will say is that if feels sprightly and delivers a very premium level of passenger and driver comfort.

It insulates you from the worst of our roads which I like but for those times you have an empty road and feel a bit exuberant the feedback through the steering wheel is too light which, paradoxically, I also know a lot of people like.

The interior is where the Renault excels and plays the premium card to full effect. I was in the top spec Esprit Alpine trim that had truly glorious seats.

The infotainment system is fully Google enabled that makes using in-car technology that bit easier and removes some of the fear drivers have before converting and ultimately embracing.

I think the biggest problem facing the Austral is the price. It is quit a few quid extra over the Sportage and Tucson.

There is an €8k premium over the non-hybrid models with the Tucson Hybrid starting at €40,745. That will have an impact on those not prepared to do the hard work of a like-for-like comparison. Will the 30 advanced driver assistance functions sway these buyers?

Those who do the deep-dive homework will probably find that the premium specifications that the Austral contains may well be worth it for this very much in fashion car and brand.