Koleos "crucial" for Renault Oz

Set to be launched Down Under in September 2008, Renault's new Koleos compact SUV is "crucial" for the brand's success in the Australian market. That's the matter-of-fact viewpoint of the brand's local chief, Rudy Koenig.

One of three all-new models the brand will launch in the back half of the year (along with Clio RS and all-new Laguna), the Koleos is Renault's first true entrant into the SUV world.

Launched in concept form at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, the conventional albeit stylish five-door wagon is built on the same underpinnings as Nissan's X-TRAIL in Renault's wholly-owned Renault-Samsung production facilities in South Korea.

Unlike the high-ride version of Renault's first-generation Scenic, the Koleos purports to have true offroad ability. It will be the first Renault vehicle Australians see that is a product of the Renault-Nissan alliance.

Renault has long harbored ambitions to match its Peugeot counterparts Down Under and move beyond the 10,000 unit mark in time. To date, Koenig asserts, the brand has not had a "price-competitive volume" product on which to build sales.

According to Koenig, Koleos is key to Renault moving its sales from its current circa-3000 unit per annum stalemate.

"The first [of our new volume products] is Koleos," Koenig opined. "For us if we've got a base of 1000 or 2000 units [per annum] of one product we can build on it.

Koenig says the company is aiming to sell up to 200 of the softroaders per month. He says the SUV's volume will be a catalyst to growing its dealer numbers beyond its current 25-strong network.

The Koleos will be launched in Europe in June but arrives Down Under in September -- a change from the 12 to 24-month delay Renault has experienced with all-new models in the past.

It will line-up against established vehicles in the segment such as CRV and RAV4, in addition to its Nissan counterpart. It will also take on VW's new Tiguan which should be well established by the time the Renault arrives.

In 2009/10 the Renault will also face Peugeot's Outlander-based 4007 and other Euro entrants such as Volvo's XC60.

Koenig says the Koleos will be "price competitive" but would not confirm it would match VW's sub-$35K starting price for Tiguan.

"It's [Koleos] a car we believe has real potential in this market," Koenig told the Carsales Network.

"Koleos is the first product in the history of Renault Australia where that product has design characteristics suitable to the Australian market from day one. It's been designed and built [for international markets] and we've been part of the project right from the start.

"This is really indicative of the thinking within Renault now, where's there's much more focus on international operations," Koenig said.

"We're not the first, we're not the second, we're not third [into the marketplace]... but it's [Koleos] got some real credibility from the fact its chassis and SUV capability is based on the Nissan experience.

"It'll have some engine and gearbox combinations which will be unique and some [interior] configurations that will also be unique. It will have the Renault design interior and Renault quality," Koenig said.

The ace in the Koleos' mudhole could be its drivetrain. Unlike the X-TRAIL, the Renault is expected to arrive with a diesel-led strategy.

While both petrol and diesel engines will be offered, importantly the latter will be coupled to a state-of-the-art six-speed automatic transmission. Turbodiesel auto will be key to the vehicle's success

"From our point of view we'd love a point of difference," a guarded Koenig admitted.

Koleos' is also a stepping stone for the brand locally, Koenig admitted.

"We have another three products coming over the next three-year period which will have similar volume potentials. So we're very confident about ultimately hitting 10,000 but it's based on new product -- not what we have now," Koenig stated, in part referring to the long ‘will-we, won't-we' discussion regarding an Australian launch for the new Clio III light car.

"The issue for us is there's some product coming which gives us superior volume/price opportunity [than Clio III]," Koenig stated.

With Clio and other Euro-sourced models struggling to make sense dollar-wise, that opportunity centres around where the new lower-cost Renault product will be built.

Said Koenig: "There are a number of options [from where they will be sourced] still… But it may not be France…"

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