Renault Austral review

Prices start from £34,195 for base Techno, £36,695 for mid-range Techno Esprit Alpine, and £38,695 for the top spec Iconic Esprit Alpine. All of them get the same 197bhp hybrid powertrain.

On lease you’re looking at £380, £404 and £432 over four years with a 10,000-mile yearly limit and £5k down payment through Renault’s own finance scheme, although at the time of writing there are some zero per cent APR offers that could save you a useful amount of cash each month.

That also makes it competitively priced compared to rivals. The Nissan Qashqai e-Power is usefully cheaper at £30,615 with its budget Acenta Premium trim, but the Kia Sportage Hybrid is a couple of hundred quid more at £34,425, while the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid starts at £36,220. Then again, those are also all available with cheaper powertrains too, or you could spend more and get the Koreans with a plug-in hybrid option.

What’s the difference between trims?

Techno models get the twin 12-inch screens with built-in Google functionality, 19-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, roof bars, parking sensors with rearview camera, adaptive cruise control and keyless entry/start.

One up Techno Esprit Alpine trim adds the 9.3-inch head-up display and 20-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats and steering wheel, electric front seats with driver massage function, electric/handsfree boot and a two-tone paint scheme.  

The top-of-the-range Iconic Esprit Alpine gets the 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, 360-degree 3D camera and a panoramic sunroof.

What’s the best spec?

We’d be tempted by the entry-level Techno trim, which still gets the dual screens and full Google suite and rides on smaller wheels. Should help the busy ride.

Standard paint is white, otherwise it’s a £750 additional fee for blue or red - our preferred choices - or more sober grey or black. Specced accordingly, you’re looking at £34,945.

As mentioned in the Overview, you're looking at sub-110g/km CO2 emissions whichever direction you go in on the configurator.