The new Renault Austral is getting a workout. It debuted for Europe in 2022 and is already offered in two versions: the standard model and the long-wheelbase version. Of course, the long-wheelbase Austral is actually called the Espace, but underneath, the vehicles share a platform. Now, spy photos capture an Austral coupe variant concealed beneath camo wrap and false panels designed to distort body lines. That is, we hope those are false panels.
We say that because our spy sources believe this swoopy compact crossover will resurrect another name from Renault's history – Avantime. Everyone remembers this quirky, oddly styled minivan that was billed as a grand touring machine combining the space of an estate with the sportiness of a coupe. That was back before sloped-roof coupe-SUVs were a thing, and though it only lasted a couple of years, it certainly left its mark on the automotive world, for better or worse.
