• Plenty of legroom in the rear
• Ample headroom, even with the sunroof
• Sliding rear bench brings extra boot space

How much space is there?

There’s plenty of space in the back of the Renault Austral for two people, with lot of leg- and headroom. However, the cabin is slightly too narrow to seat three adults on the rear bench comfortably. The central tunnel is relatively small though, so the middle passenger won’t be as cramped as they would be in a SEAT Ateca.

The Austral’s interior feels airy, thanks to generously proportioned side windows. Splash out on the range-topping Iconic Esprit Alpine model and you’ll also get a panoramic sunroof, which allows even more light to flood into the cabin. Unlike some of its rivals, the sunroof doesn’t rob too much headroom, either. Our six-foot tester could easily get comfortable in the rear seats

Renault Austral boot space and storage

The Renault Austral’s boot is a decent size for the class, though lacks the flexibility of a Skoda Karoq, for example, which is available with all kinds of storage, nets and dividers to make the most of the space. As for the Austral’s boot, it measures 527 litres in standard guise, which is marginally larger than the Ford Kuga Hybrid’s but far smaller than the Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4. However, the Austral has a party trick – a sliding rear bench.

With the bench pushed all the way forwards, boot space expands to 575 litres. You pay a heavy penalty in passenger comfort to unlock that extra boot space, though. With the rear seats pushed all the way forwards, there’s hardly any space between the bench and the front seat backs.

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Oddment storage is good, though. The door bins are deep and have pockets for water bottles and the centre console has a hand rest that can slide forwards to reveal a deep cubby ideal for storing wallets and sunglasses. There’s a split-folding storage bin at the rear of the centre console, too.

Is it easy to park?

Yes, the Renault Austral is an easy car to park. Visibility is good, and all models come with front and rear parking sensors plus a handy rear-view camera.

The top spec Austral also features a crystal clear 360-degree parking camera and all-round parking sensors. There’s a lot of glass surrounding the cabin, too, which helps with visibility when parking.

Safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP safety score
• Loads of driver assistance technology
• Semi-autonomous drive-mode

Renault prides itself on its safety record, and the Austral follows suit. When Euro NCAP crash tested the car in 2022, it achieved a full five stars, thanks in part to its extensive suite of safety equipment. Even the most basic Austral comes with autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, adaptive headlights, lane-keeping assist and a rear autonomous emergency braking system that can prevent you from reversing into obstacles when parking. It’s worth noting it makes it safer than the cheaper, if similarly sized Renault Symbioz.

More expensive Australs build on this list with a semi-autonomous drive mode that can maintain the car’s speed and road position, though the driver must keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road at all times.

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We tried the system and found it to be very reliable. It can even assist with overtakes – simply indicate to overtake slower traffic on the motorway and the car will automatically accelerate and steer into the lane to the right of your target. Because the system also incorporates a blind spot monitoring system, it won’t steer out into quickly approaching traffic.

Renault got the Austral’s passive safety right, too. Euro NCAP’s testers were impressed with the strength of the car’s body shell and its ability to protect both its adult and child occupants. Front seat passengers even get an airbag that deploys between the front seats to prevent them from clashing heads in the event of a side impact.

Watch the Renault Austral Euro NCAP crash test