New Renault Boreal coming to South Africa – What to expect

Renault has officially unveiled the new Boreal, and it’s coming to South Africa.

The Boreal is the French carmaker’s latest C-segment SUV, slotting in between the Captur crossover and the larger Koleos midsize SUV.

The Boreal will be manufactured in Brazil and Turkiye, and is primarily intended for markets outside of Renault’s home turf in Europe.

According to Renault South Africa, the Boreal will make its way to our market in late 2026 or possibly early 2027, as reported by Cars.co.za.

What to expect

Renault has provided a breakdown of the Boreal’s technical specifications, revealing the car’s full dimensions.

It is built on the CMF-B platform, which is the same one used by the next-gen Duster.

This is how the Boreal compares to other Renault crossovers:

Overall, the Boreal is slightly larger than its siblings, offering more interior space than either the Captur or the Duster.

Interestingly, it even has a fractionally better ground clearance than the Duster, despite the latter’s off-road focus.

Renault has confirmed that the new model will use a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine, though it stated that the powertrain range will be adapted to suit “the specific features of each market, depending on local usage, regulations, and customer expectations.”

In practice, this means that the Latin American units will have an output of 116kW and 270Nm, while the Turkish version will generate 103kW and 240Nm.

It’s currently unknown how much the Boreal will produce when it goes on sale in South Africa.

Regardless of the power reading, all versions of the car will be exclusively offered with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

As for the rest of the package, the new SUV has a rather striking appearance that continues the design trend of other recent Renault models.

Like the Duster, the Boreal has a muscular front end with a large bumper, though it has a far more detailed grille capped off by the brand’s diamond logo instead of Renault lettering.

It also has a set of aggressive-looking LED headlights and daytime running lights, 19-inch alloy wheels, a two-tone roof, aluminium skid plates, a panoramic sunroof, and roof rails.

While the South African equipment sheet will only be revealed closer to the car’s launch, the press document highlights a number of exciting features.

This includes a new “OpenR” dual horizontal display comprised of two 10-inch screens for the driver and infotainment systems, which can receive over-the-air software updates.

The operating system is Android-based and has integrated Google Maps and Google Assistant support, and owners can install additional apps via the Google Play store, including streaming platforms like Prime Video and HBO Max.

It also has 48-colour ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, a wireless charging pad, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, and soft-touch material finishes for the dashboard and other surfaces.

Furthermore, the French car boasts up to 24 driver assistance functions such as lane-keep assist, front and rear parking sensors, blind spot detection, traffic sign recognition, emergency braking assist, and a 360-degree camera system.

More information on the Renault Boreal, such as its pricing and model lineup, will be announced closer to its South African launch window towards the end of next year.

Renault Boreal