Renault takes wraps off new Austral SUV
French carmaker Renault unwrapped its new Austral SUV on Tuesday, marking its latest effort to compete in the compact car segment while moving upmarket with a flagship "Esprit Alpine" model derivative.
The Alpine badge, with which Renault hopes to boost margins, is about specific accessories, including blue seat top stitching and a new satin shale grey body colour with an exclusive matte finish. Also fitted as standard are 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels.
Luca de Meo, head of the French car manufacturer, said he wanted to exploit the Alpine brand's sporty image as he seeks to fuel Renault's profit margin recovery, but not restrict it to a few exclusive models, as has been the case in the past.
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Renault hopes to continue increasing the average selling price of its vehicles with the launch of the Austral, which is set to succeed the Kadjar SUV.
The Austral also reflects the carmaker's offensive on the compact and mid-size vehicles segment - the largest in Europe - where it plans to launch seven new models by 2025.
The new car is to be manufactured at Renault's major hub for hybrid vehicles production in Spain and will be marketed from the fourth quarter of this year.
Renault is yet to confirm whether or not the Austral will be made available to the SA market.