Renault Austral review - Boot space, practicality & dimensions

Being a family SUV, you’d expect the Austral to be incredibly practical; although it’s not quite the roomiest car in its class, Renault’s offering is one of the most versatile. For example, Renault claims there’s 35 litres-worth of storage bins dotted around the cabin, while the rear seats can be slid backwards and forwards to prioritise passenger or boot space – just like in the smaller Renault Captur.

There’s not a huge amount of space for your feet when sitting in the back, but even models with a panoramic sunroof boast plenty of headroom. Space in the door bins is decent, and two cup-holders take pride of place below the main infotainment display. There are also several lidded cubbies within the centre console.

Does the Renault Austral have a big boot?

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With the rear seats slid all the way forwards, the Renault Austral’s boot offers a sizeable 555 litres of space – taller passengers may find things a bit tight in this configuration, though. When the rear bench is fully pushed back, the boot shrinks to 487 litres, which is significantly smaller than the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid’s 616-litre load bay. Another drawback is the rather large lip, which can make getting heavier items into the Austral’s boot difficult, and the fact the 12-volt battery sits beneath the boot floor, taking up some space that could otherwise be used to hide valuables.

Is the Renault Austral a good tow car?

The Austral can tow a braked weight of up to 1,500kg, which equates to a small, light caravan.