Renault Austral review - Reliability & safety

Renault’s performance in our most recent editions of the Driver Power customer satisfaction survey is disappointing to say the least. While the Austral itself doesn’t feature in our list of the top 50 models as rated by owners, the brand came in a sub-par 28th place out of 32, ahead only of Volkswagen, Ford, Fiat and MG. 24.4% of owners reported an issue with their Renault within the first year of ownership, which is slightly worse than average.

How safe is the Renault Austral?

On a more positive note, the Austral has scored a full five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. The result is no surprise, as Renault models have scored highly in this department for years. The Austral scored over 80% in three of the four main testing areas for Adult Occupant, Child Occupant and Safety Assist. As with many SUVs, its score wasn't as good in the Vulnerable Road User category, although it was still in the upper tier of ‘satisfactory’ markers.

Renault also claims the Austral can be fitted with up to 32 different driver assistance and safety technologies, including autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera system. Upgrading to the mid-range Techno Esprit Alpine trim adds traffic-sign recognition with ‘overspeed prevention’ and adaptive cruise control with lane centring.

What are the Renault Austral service intervals?

Renault owners rated the brand’s running costs well, with servicing prices considered affordable. The brand offers discounted service plans called ‘EasyLife Packs’ which bundle maintenance into payment plans for set periods which don’t change with inflation. There are many of these available, starting from £13.99 a month for three-year/30,000-mile coverage or four-year/48,000-mile coverage and one MOT for £22.99. There are even more options if you want to bundle it together with an extended warranty.

What is the warranty on the Renault Austral?

The Renault Austral gets a warranty of three years up, with no mileage cap in the first year, but a limit of 60,000 miles for the rest of the three-year period. Quite frankly, while that used to be about the industry standard, many manufacturers, including Renault’s own spin-off budget brand Dacia, offer more competitive warranties. Dacia’s will cover your car for up to seven years or 18,000 miles annually, so long as you get it serviced by an official retailer.