Well my original order was for the generous mid range spec Austral back in November 23.
After careful consideration I changed and ordered the Iconic instead.
The main reasons for this were as follows.
My previous Qashqai 2020 had a panoramic roof which I realised was a useful feature and would bring natural light into a rather gloomy interior on the darkened headlining in the mid range Austral.
2/ My wife and I realised how beneficial the over head view parking function graphics helped when parking the Qashqai. When we found only the Iconic model had this it swayed our decision.
3/ My dearly beloved has a back issue and quite liked the seat massage and heat function on the iconic
Finally with street parking getting ever tighter the 4 wheel steering was a final Plus point and we made the choice to swap.
It is now 3 days old in glossy Silver and black and really looks the part.
My original main concerns back last year were the popular reviews of a hard ride due to big wheels.
I can now state on our vehicle it is more than adequate. Maybe not quite as soft as the thicker Qashqai tyres but quite acceptable none the less.
The one impressive function is the 4 wheel steer. Whenever we visit our daughter we need to negotiate a 360 deg turn in a "T" junction which we can just about make in the Qashqai in one go.
This car does this with at least 1 meter to spare against the curb with only 1/2 assistance selected.
Very good for parking and turning as I can now demonstrate.
The outstanding feature has to be the Tech in this car. It is comprehensive to say the least.
I would suggest you download the user manual and start reading well in advance of delivery.
Whether it be the projected Renault logos beamed from the wing mirrors onto the pavement or the variable colour interior lighting, this car has it covered.
The head up display on the windscreen is clear and bright. If it bugs you then it can be turned off or it's position in the glass adjusted left/right/up/down to suit.
I swear anyone who had Airfix aircraft model kits when they were young will place they're hand on the Throttle lever in this car.....sorry.....hand rest and shout WHOOOOOOSHHHHH as they slide it forward.
Only to find it has just revealed ...just ....a cup storage closet and not generated you into a supersonic speed state. Funny.
One point of frustration was the Renault connect app setup which I cannot finalise properly and am visiting the dealers Tech guru for lessons next week.
The sound system is very good but if you don't want to share your driving life with Google then your in for a shock as this car is fully integrated Google. If you refuse...then stuff does not work.
Short and curly's comes to mind.
It can take up to 72 hours for full system integration with Renault between your car, Renault and they're phone app for those that want this.
In a nutshell we are both impressed with the car and for us oldies is a world away from good old fashioned Plugs and points on my first old vauxhall viva car.
PS, to date not all the DAB radio station icons will populate on the station list.
Wireless Android auto will not load into the car from my 2 year old android phone but does run on My wifes apple car play phone which is 3 years old. It does run on a cable connection, however.
Not all road speed recognition signs are recognised by the system which if you are reliant on this speed system method they cannot be relied upon to be correct. This becomes important when relying on the variable cruise control system which can correct your speed in relation to your current situation.
Life is strange... while on a recent spanish holiday we only saw one Austral in a week ( they make them in spain.) and possibly 2 in our area of the UK once home.
On our day of collection we visited a branch of Diet Burger K*** for a healthy lunch when an Austral parked along side us in a techno who we chatted to as we compared notes.
He excitedly said he had only recently swapped his old Kadjar for the Austral and was utterly thrilled with it, both in relation to performance, economy and Tech appeal.
Here's hoping,
Cheers gang,
One last note on the engine noise. I think it is a little noisy for the following reasons,
1/ It is a 1.2 L turbo 3 cylinder block. Its fairly smooth, but 3 cylinder engines by design are lumpy when compared to 4 cylinder versions as you would say the same when comparing a 4 to a 6 cylinder.
2/ When it kicks in it has been programmed to replace charge already used by the battery and so kicks in with a fair bit of work to do in a shortish time scale, hence it runs at a fairly high constant rev rate for a short while.
Finally, where, as normally an engine would have a varying engine note as you adjust the throttle, this system appears to drone along at a semi fixed high rev rake giving the impression of a droning hum sound as it feeds the power back into the mother ship.
It's not too bad but I aint a fan of 3 cylinders if i'm being honest. It's a trade off of weight, economy size and function. A heavier 4 cylinder would be better sounding but MPG may be higher. Take your pick.
Mr rugby
