Launched: Renault Koleos Dynamique 4WD
Wheels Magazine 
December, 2008
Aussies aren't taking the Scenic route.
Renault has admitted defeat after failing to convince an SUV-inclined Australian market that its Scenic and Grand Scenic people movers are an alternative path to the soft-roader.
Enter the Koleos, Renault's first crossover, and the first global product from the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
The Koleos inherits its competent AWD system from Nissan's X-Trail, while Renault was responsible for its external sheetmetal, practical interior and five-star safety rating. Korea-based Renault Samsung Motors was charged with assembly.
The range kicks off at $29,990 for the base Dynamique, which is powered by a Nissan-sourced 126kW/226Nm 2.5-litre petrol four, driving the front wheels via a six-speed manual.
A CVT 'box adds $3000, and 4WD underpinnings with Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control a substantial $4000.
Two tunes of the excellent 2.0-litre dCi diesel from the Laguna and Renaultsport Megane are available and priced from $39,990 in Dynamique spec. It develops 127kW/360Nm with a six-speed manual (RS Megane) or a detuned 110kW/320Nm with a six-speed auto (Laguna).
The features list is impressively long: 17-inch alloys, auto headlights and wipers, iPod jack, wheel-mounted audio controls, cruise, and keyless entry.
The five-star NCAP rating is affirmed with eight airbags, load-limiters on four belts, stability control, and an active AWD torque split which sends up to 50 percent of drive rearwards on demand.
The interior's flowing lines are complemented by soft-touch materials. Chrome scuff plates and door handles lift the Dynamique's grey cloth, while a two-tone dash contrasts top-spec Privilege models' beige leather.
Ingenious ideas borne of the Scenic abound: under-floor cubbies, a cavernous glove box, folding tray tables, and B-pillar air vents with fan controls. A maximum of 1340 litres of cargo space is available with the rear seats folded flat.
The Koleos has excellent rebound control, but the ride is unnecessarily firm and yaw control a bit too loose. With no load in the rear, smaller road imperfections are amplified instead of absorbed. And like the X-Trail's, its remote-feeling, speed-adaptive steering is anything but 'Dynamique'.
But Koleos does inherit some of the more desirable X-Trail traits - its switchable 2WD/4WD/Lock chassis and two-way hill-assistance system offer decent mud-plugging ability.
As a premium crossover, the Koleos should be able to compete with the best of the current crop. And unlike the Tiguan, it launches with a petrol engine and a full-size spare.
| RENAULT KOLEOS DYNAMIQUE 4WD |
| |
| Engine: |
1995cc 4cyl, 16v, turbo-diesel |
| Max Power: |
110kW @ 4000rpm |
| Max Torque: |
320Nm @ 2000rpm |
| Transmission
| 6-speed automatic |
| 0-100km/h: |
11.2sec (estimated) |
| Price: |
$39,990 |
| On sale: |
Now |
| |
| For: |
Strong engines; striking design; storage and standard goodies galore; five-star Euro safety rating |
| Against: |
Numb steering; firm secondary ride; tight second row |
More research
Renault Koleos -- Carsales Network launch review: here
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