WHAT IS IT?
If you’re in the market for a family SUV there are a few options that will automatically pop up on your radar, be it from seeing them on the roads or from friend’s braai-side recommendations: Nissan X-Trail, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, VW Tiguan, Kia Sportage… If they’re really on the ball your friends might also mention the Mazda CX-5. But very seldom will one of the French contenders be mentioned, and if it is it will no doubt be the Renault Duster, almost always for its value for money. That’s an injustice to a few cars, but probably none more so than the new Renault Koleos.
WHY THIS?
Space and price are two of the biggest selling points of the Koleos, and it is also a very nice car to drive and be driven in.
OUTSIDE
If you remember the first Renault Koleos, you’ve probably got a fairly awkward image in your mind. It was rounded without being attractively curvy, no mean feat, and a bit chinless in a world of angular, rugged SUVs. Those days are thankfully gone, and the 2020 Koleos is a handsome, thoroughly modern iteration of the crossover SUV. There are elements borrowed from the gorgeous Megane, as you’d expect, and the result is an elegant design that leans heavily on the full LED lights, front and rear, for identity.
INSIDE
One reason why you would definitely be tempted by the Koleos after having a seat in one is the interior space. Whereas the closely related X-Trail is a seven-seater with three rows of seats, the Koleos offers just two rows of seats, for five occupants. That’s a downside for some, but the positive result is liberal space and an air of roominess for all passengers, as well as a ginormous boot.
Renault packs a lot of standard safety and convenience equipment into their vehicles these days, to really up the value stakes. The entire Koleos range has the same safety levels, for example, which earned it 5 EuroNCAP safety stars. I won’t mention all the standard features (the list is long), but it does have popular kit like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, 360° park assist, LED interior lighting that can be changed in colour, navigation and loads more.
Sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between cars these days, because they all do their job so well, so it’s often the little things that you remember. One example is the funky floor mats of the Kia Seltos. Another is the doors of the Renault Koleos – they open really wide, and when you spend your days moving baby seats from one car to another, you appreciate this!
THE DRIVE
On the open road, dirt district roads and around town, we were very impressed with the comfort of the Renault’s drive. Road holding was also good, and we appreciated the automatic 4x4 setting, which made traction on the slippery dirt road that much better.
Under the long, curved bonnet is just one engine option: a 2.5-lite petrol engine (126kW and 233Nm) paired with a CVT gearbox. It’s efficient and has less of that irritating CVT whine than most of its peers, but a true auto would make life more enjoyable. Claimed fuel consumption is a credible 8.3L/100km, and our tested consumption was around 9.8L/100km.
We don’t need to tell you that the Koleos isn’t intended to compete with Land Cruisers, but the part-time 4x4 system is not half bad. It’s selectable via a rotary dial, and in normal conditions you’d leave it in 2wd (front wheel drive). When things are a bit more slippery (as in the dirt road, or when it’s raining), 4WD Auto mode is the one to go for. It detects where power is needed and sends it to that wheel. There is also 4WD Lock mode, the equivalent of which not many vehicles in this class have, which distributes torque equally to the two axles. The while system works well, while the 210mm of ground clearance adds further to the car’s adventure ability.
FINAL WORD
Often overlooked, the Renault Koleos is a compelling choice if you give it a chance.
GO GET IT
Pricing starts at R424 900 for the Expression 2.5 CVT 4x2 while the Dynamique 2.5 CVT 4x2 is fifty grand more at R474 900. The model we tested, the Dynamique 2.5 CVT 4x4 is another R40k, at R514 900. The Koleos comes standard with a 5-year/150 000km mechanical warranty, a 5-year/90 000km service plan and a 6-year anticorrosion warranty, with service intervals at 15 000km.
As an indication, the X-Trail starts at R442 400, the Tiguan at R491 500, the RAV4 at R454 500, the Tucson at R425 500 and the Sportage at R430 995. So the Koleos is well priced, especially when you take a closer look at what you get for the money.
Visit www.renault.co.za for more information.
The hits
Space
Refinement
Ride quality
Well priced
Warranty
Doors open really wide
The misses
No third row of seats
No diesel engine
Gallery
