Renault Austral E-Tech Hybrid long term test review 2026

Renault Austral E-Tech Hybrid long term test: Report 5

Key details

Spec: Renault Austral Iconic Esprit Alpine | Price: £38,695 (£39,445 as tested) | Mileage: 10,175 | Test MPG: 53.8| Report date: 15^th October 2026

Renault has once again tried to light a fire under the dying MPV market with the E-Space concept at the recent Paris Motor Show. It’s certainly very cool, harking back to the pioneering original Renault Espace of the mid-eighties.

But I bet you didn’t know that there’s already an Espace you can buy from Renault dealers in Europe that we don’t get in the UK. And it bears an uncanny relationship to our long-term Austral, as you’ll see in the images below.

That’s right: the once truly forward-thinking Espace nameplate now finds itself on a stretched version of a very normal family SUV. It’s 21cm longer than the Austral and has a 7cm longer wheelbase, enabling both a much larger boot (up to 770 litres versus 555 litres for the Austral), more rear-seat legroom and the option of an extra row of seats.

The Espace gets the same 200hp hybrid system as the Austral, as well as a broadly identical interior design. The only real difference other than the increased space is that the Espace comes with Renault’s ‘Solarbay’ opacifying glass roof, whereas the Austral gets a fixed glass roof with an electric fabric sunshade.

Why can’t you buy the Espace in the UK? Well, Renault says it’s down to lack of expected demand, and the figures seem to back that up.

The Renault Koleos is effectively the predecessor to this Espace, and that was axed from the UK back in 2020 due to slow sales. Only 1,007 examples of the Koleos were registered in its final full year on sale here, whereas over 18,000 Australs have found homes here in three years. Similarly, Nissan sells vastly more five-seat Qashqais than seven-seat X-Trails.

Would I rather be driving the Espace than the Austral? Probably not. I don’t personally have much need for seven seats, or a bigger boot than the already roomy Austral’s. The Espace would also be harder to park, while it’s heavier and therefore slightly slower and less efficient.

The Espace’s extra rear legroom is welcome but not essential, because my 6ft 3in frame can still sit behind a driver of the same size comfortably in the Austral. The Austral also has sliding and reclining rear seats, but I often forget that feature exists because, even with the seats slid all the way back, I’ve never struggled for boot space with tip runs, weekly shops and airport runs with suitcases.

I’m not even that fussed about not having the Solarbay roof, which my previous Renault Rafale and Scenic E-Tech long-term test cars had. It’s a cool gimmick that I’d always show off to new passengers, but the fabric sunblind is more effective at blocking out the sun’s rays and stopping the cabin from heating up in the height of summer.

All in all, I can see why Renault didn’t bother converting the Espace to right-hand drive. Instead, I’d like to see a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Austral added to the range.

PHEVs are continuing to grow in popularity in the UK, with a 17% share of the new car market so far this year. Company car drivers who aren’t quite ready to go fully electric love them, too. And Renault already offers a 300hp plug-in powertrain with up to 65 miles of range in the closely related Rafale, so it seems a no-brainer to me.

Plugging in at home and the office would provide some light relief from the current high fuel prices, although the Austral’s fuel economy is staying usefully high and continues to impress. It's a car that's really at its best when the engine isn't running, though, and a PHEV version would give you much more smooth, silent electric-only propulsion.

Renault Austral E-Tech Hybrid long term test: Report 4

Key details

Spec: Renault Austral Iconic Esprit Alpine | Price: £38,695 (£39,445 as tested) | Mileage: 9,141 | Test MPG: 53.9| Report date: 4^th September 2026

The Austral has ticked over 5,000 miles in my custody, but I’m certainly not ready to give it back to Renault just yet. In fact, bar a couple of niggles, I have had almost nothing to complain about in the past 5 months.

Renault’s hybrid family SUV has become a bit of a home from home as I travel across the UK or to airports to drive other new cars at their launch. Cars are more complex and high-tech than ever, and stepping in and out of all sorts of new models in the name of reviewing means little consistency in my motoring life.

The Austral delivers that consistency in a way that reduces my stress level every time I drive it. A lot of that is due to the ‘My Safety Perso’ button, that in two quick button taps sets a custom profile for the driver assists I want (and, most importantly, don’t want) before I drive off.

A lot of my local trips are only a mile or two at most. Yet many test cars present a baffling array of bonging noises and unnecessary warnings that irritate before I’ve even left my street.

Some require diving through multiple layers of menus to silence, and as regulation dictates these systems (such as errant speed limit alerts, over-zealous driver monitoring and over-the-top lane assistance) must turn back on every time you restart the car, I quickly get annoyed. Yet in the Renault, it’s an ocean of calm.

It’s also a great car to have at this time of ever-rising petrol prices. My long-term fuel economy average is good enough to live with much less refined diesel alternatives – but on gentle runs I’ve seen well over 60mpg for my Newbury to Bristol commute. That means low running costs, and a potential 700-plus miles of range from a modest 55 litre fuel tank.

The Austral’s E-Tech hybrid system is, like all hybrids, at its best in town or when cruising below 50mph or so. Here, the Austral runs its engine for a little bit to juice up the battery, then switches off for smooth electric cruising most of the time.

But it can still deliver at 70mph, because the E-Tech system can switch to combine both petrol and electric power to drive the wheels. That’s good, because when the engine is solely running as a generator for battery power it rarely shows over 30mpg on the instant readout.

So far, the only minor fault I’ve experienced is an occasional loud double beep when the car is unlocked. It’s not frequent enough that I’ve felt the need to drive 30 minutes down the road to my nearest dealer, but a Google search tells me it may be an issue with an alarm sensor somewhere.

That’s no big deal, and the sort of problem that Renault should easily address under warranty if it bothered you enough. Me, though, I’m just happy to have the Austral as a safe haven from driver assist bongs.

Renault Austral E-Tech Hybrid long term test: Report 3

Key details

Spec: Renault Austral Iconic Esprit Alpine | Price: £38,695 (£39,445 as tested) | Mileage: 7,178 | Test MPG: 53.9 | Report date: 30^th July 2026

Given a big part of my job as RAC Drive’s Automotive Editor is testing and reviewing cars, it’s a regular occurrence for all sorts of flashy new models to be parked on the street outside my home. And, naturally, for one or two of the neighbours to take an interest.

Given I’ve had everything from Porsche 911s to the funky little Honda Super N outside in the last couple of months, I wasn’t expecting the relatively ordinary Austral to draw much attention.

But while I was outside emptying rubbish from the boot the other day, one neighbour sidled up to me to ask “is this the new Alpine SUV?”.

‘Oh dear’ I thought at the time. It’s hardly a great indictment of the legendary Alpine brand that its high-tech new flagship, the A390, is being confused with Renault’s Nissan Qashqai rival. But it’s a sign that the Austral can look posher than the sum of its parts when specced correctly.

While ‘my’ Austral’s stunning Naxos Blue paintwork is a different shade to the now well-known Alpine Blue, the confusion could be understood. The intricate 20in wheels may have dropped a hint, too. But it turns out he’d clocked the Alpine logo on the wing.

This Iconic Esprit Alpine trim level is much like Volkswagen’s R-Line and Audi’s S-Line trims, borrowing styling influences from the brand’s performance models but with non-performance engines (and therefore running costs).

Those big Alpine logos on the front wings and seatbacks are, one family member noticed, a bit reminiscent of the logo of the Marvel movie franchise Avengers.

But this high-spec Austral also gets lots of Alcantara bits inside alongside blue stitching on the doors and dash (with French ‘Tricolore’ stitching on the seats). Stick the Renault in its Comfort drive mode and you also get Alpine-alike blue backlighting, too.

I’m sure the Alpine brand would prefer its new range-topper isn’t as easily confused with Renault’s family SUV. But if it helps sell Australs in bigger numbers, it helps the wider Renault Group to fund other sporty Alpine models in time.

It also helps that the Austral has been a very agreeable companion over summer, with fuel economy mostly holding up despite the air-con blasting during the heatwaves. My only gripe is that the climate control’s ‘Auto’ setting takes a while to get cold air flowing – but its easy to manually override the fan speed with physical controls below the touchscreen.

Renault Austral E-Tech Hybrid long term test: Report 2

Key details

Spec: Renault Austral Iconic Esprit Alpine | Price: £38,695 (£39,445 as tested) | Mileage: 5,493 | Test MPG: 54.4 | Report date: 12^th June 2026

It’s not often that long-term test cars like our Renault Austral require much workshop attention. After all, these are new or nearly new cars which, bar the odd software update or mild issue, should be mechanically perfect.

But our Austral was first registered back in June 2025, and has already racked up a few thousand hard miles in the hands of various motoring journalists and Youtubers as a press fleet car. Renault wasn’t able to get it serviced before I took custody of it, so when the “service in 28 days” warning popped up on the dash I knew it was time to experience the brand’s aftersales care.

After ringing up Martin’s Renault Reading (my local dealer) it transpired that I needed to wait almost a month before they could get me in for a car service – thankfully, I’d rang up the day the dash warning came up.

Just in case you’re as poorly organised as me, Martins send a couple of automated text messages to remind you of the date and time of the service. Once I arrived I was greeted warmly, and the service manager took my keys. As I wasn’t given a time slot (instead being told the car will be serviced any time before 5pm) I got a lift back home from nearby family.

That last point was the only negative, however, because I was informed when the Austral entered the workshop and, within 40 minutes, I was sent a detailed video health check of the car via text. This ran through everything underneath the car, from tyre and brake condition to the state of the exhaust and suspension components.

As expected, everything was fine, with 6mm of tread left on all tyres, 20% wear of the brake pads and nothing else to report. After an hour the service manager rang to say the car was ready and everything was all good.

On arrival, I was presented with an invoice for £209 for an ‘A service’, and a highly detailed report that was run through by the service manager to explain key details, including no fewer than 62 checks inside and out of the car.

There was also a diagnostic report of the 26 ECUs the Austral has, controlling everything from the hybrid system’s thermal management to the electric seat operation.

The report was certainly more positive than most of my school reports. Which is as you’d expect, given the car has only travelled 5,500 miles. Although the Austral’s service interval mileage is 18,000, this must be completed annually – so for high mileage users the health checks give plenty of peace-of-mind.

Elsewhere, I’ve had few complaints with the Austral. Fuel economy has settled at an average of 54mpg, although I’ve noticed that with the air-con blasting in hot weather the battery is drained a bit more quickly. It will be interesting to see if this impacts long-term efficiency over the summer, a bit like the heating did on my Renault Scenic E-Tech long term test car I ran before this.

Renault Austral E-Tech Hybrid long term test: First report

Key details

Spec: Renault Austral Iconic Esprit Alpine | Price: £38,695 (£39,445 as tested) | Mileage: 4,129 | Test MPG: 54.1 | Report date: 1^st May 2026

Renault is on a roll currently. We celebrate cars like the 5 E-Tech, 4 E-Tech and Scenic E-Tech as being among the best EVs at their price points, and having just finished six fantastic months with the Scenic only served to verify that.

But what about the non-electric models? Renault also uses the E-Tech branding for its hybrids, which perhaps don’t get as much of a look in as its celebrated EVs. With that in mind, I’m now running a Renault Austral E-Tech for the next six months.

Having also spent some time in the Renault Rafale plug-in hybrid last year, I’m keen to see how losing the ability (or hindrance) of plugging in to charge affects my daily driving. You see, the Austral is a ‘self-charging’ full hybrid that continually juggles petrol and electric power as you go along.

Unlike cheaper Renault and Dacia hybrids that use a non-turbo petrol engine as their base, the Austral features a punchy 130hp 1.2-litre turbo unit. That combines with an electric motor to produce 200hp combined – plenty for a family-focused SUV.

‘My’ Austral is a top-spec Iconic Esprit Alpine model, which is a reasonable £3,500 more than the cheapest version. For that you get plenty of goodies including 20in alloys, Harmon Kardon audio, a 360-degree camera system, a head-up display and a panoramic glass roof.

It’s worth pointing out that this roof differs from the Rafale and Scenic I ran previously because it does without the clever opacifying tech, using a simple electric blind instead. To be honest, it does the job perfectly well.

I was keen to not stick with the basic white paint you get as standard, and pleased when it turned up in the smart, almost teal Naxos Blue which will set you back £750. Even though this is hardly the most daring Renault design out there, the paint and spec mean it warrants a second glance.

Initial impressions are good. This Austral has already done just over 4,000 miles of demanding service on Renault’s press fleet, yet I haven’t noticed any squeaks, rattles or worn trim. Having said that, a service is due soon, so I’ll report on Renault’s service in that department in later reports.

While it isn’t as smooth and punchy as the all-electric Scenic, the Austral’s hybrid system can go a decent distance (and offer good acceleration) in EV mode before the engine fires up for 20-30 seconds to feed power back into the battery. You also still get regenerative braking adjustable by paddles on the steering wheel, which is common in an EV but rarer in a hybrid.

Making use of all this has meant strong fuel economy in the first few hundred miles I’ve put under the Austral’s belt. 54.1mpg isn’t too far from the official WLTP figure, especially with a decent mix of motorway driving combined with the town trips that benefit a hybrid’s efficiency.

Overall, I’m looking forward to putting the Austral through its paces as we go into summer and beyond. Stay tuned for more reports.