Renault Koleos 2008 Review - International

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OVERVIEW
A company with a history for smart packaging of estates, hatches and MPVs, Renault has resisted the temptation to enter the softroader/SUV fray -- until now. Prompted by a change in sentiment towards 'offroaders' in Europe (and particularly in the company's domestic consumer base), as well as the strength of this type of vehicle in markets around the globe, la Regie's first SUV, the Koleos will arrive Down Under later this year.

It is the first true product of the Nissan-Renault alliance to hit the road Down Under. Underpinned by the same mechanicals that feature in Nissan's X-TRAIL, the Koleos was designed and 'specced' by Renault and then developed by Nissan.

Completing the cosmopolitan nature of the product, it is built for the world by Renault's wholly-owned subsidiary, Renault Samsung, in a plant near Busan in South Korea. Once fully rolled out, the Koleos will be sold in more than 40 countries across five continents.

In concept, the Koleos sits somewhere between its Nissan siblings -- not as offroad-oriented or 'blokey' as the X-TRAIL, but more rugged than the crossover-style Dualis.

In reality, the shapely French vehicle should be at least as capable as the square-rigger Nissan. In addition to featuring the same full ALL-MODE 4x4i all-wheel-drive system as the X-TRAIL (Dualis gets a simpler system), the Koleos actually delivers better approach and departure angles. Incongruously (given the above), Renault will beat Nissan to offering front-wheel-drive variants of its softroader Down Under.

And that is a measure of the importance of the car to Renault Australia. Vital for the brand's growth, Renault will seek to sell as many as 200 Koleos models per month Down Under. That sort of volume will make it far and away its largest-selling model and deliver the potential to almost double the brand's sales.

This price would place the Koleos in the heart of the burgeoning softroader marketplace and position the vehicle well to achieve the ambitious sales targets Renault Australia has set for the model (more here). From this point the Koleos range will step up through a number of 4x2 and 4x4 variants.

The 4x2 models will likely only be offered at two trim levels, both powered by the X-TRAIL's existing 2.5-litre 126kW/226Nm petrol engine. Both six-speed manual and CVT gearboxes will be available. A turbodiesel front-driver could be added to the local range, but not in the short term, Renault sources say.

To date Nissan has resisted offering two-wheel drive versions of X-TRAIL and Dualis, however, sales of Hyundai's Tucson City and (in larger segments) Toyota's Kluger and the Ford Territory show Aussies aren't averse to the type of amenity such high-riding, road-only vehicles deliver. A CVT-equipped front-wheel drive petrol Koleos at, say, $31,990 could therefore be a surprise performer in terms of sales for Renault Down Under.

Amenities like auto park brake, headlamps and wipers will be standard across the entire Koleos range. So too full electrics (windows and mirrors), cruise control and speed limiter.

The 4x4 Koleos models will be available in both petrol or turbodiesel variants across an expected range of three trim levels. As noted above, the 'offroaders' feature the same intelligent ALL MODE 4X4i all-wheel-drive system as the X-TRAIL models.

The petrol powertrains are as detailed above for the front-driver. The turbodiesel combinations are a six-speed auto (not CVT) matched to a 110kW/320Nm version of Renault's 2.0 dCi, plus a six-speed manual version, which produces 127kW/360Nm. These are the same turbodiesel powertrains as offered in the recently announced X-TRAIL oilers.

The top-of-the-range turbodiesel and petrol Koleos models should peak in the mid-$40K range. They will feature upscale equipment such as leather upholstery, Xenon headlamps, BOSE sound systems, park assist (front and rear, but no camera) and keyless entry and start. A two-pane glass roof/sunroof option will also be offered, though the Euro versions' integrated satnav and infotainment systems will not be a starter Down Under.

MECHANICAL
Under the Nissan-Renault alliance, Renault engineers set the parameters for the Koleos; its designers drew the car and then the instructions were handed over. From here Nissan and Renault Samsung developed the vehicle and productionised it. Real world testing of the vehicle included stints Down Under.

What they built on was the X-TRAIL. In a true example of platform sharing, the powertrains, chassis, suspension hard parts, brakes and most everything else is straight from the X-TRAIL parts bin -- or very close there to.

Rather than regurgitate the whole chapter and verse here, we will refer you to our coverage of last year's world launch of the X-TRAIL here (more here). There is more also at our local launch of the X-TRAIL (more here).

There are some key dimensional differences (see PACKAGING) below. The Koleos sits on a longer wheelbase and 15mm wider track front and rear.

Despite the shared componentry, Renault-specific suspension and steering tuning give the car a distinctive feel. Whether that 'feel' will suit Australian softroader buyers will remain to be seen (see ON THE ROAD below).

PACKAGING
With such a degree of shared componentry, it will be the Koleos' packaging that will define the Renault in what is an increasingly competitive market segment.

At 4520mm long the Renault is 110mm shorter than the X-TRAIL. It's wider (1854 v 1785) and taller (1710 v 1685) than the Nissan, however. Wheelbase is 60mm longer at 2690mm.

Approach and departure angles are 27 and 31 degrees. These compare to 26 and 22 degrees for the Nissan. Ground clearance is 206mm for the petrol version (but 188mm for the diesel). Its rampover angle at 21 degrees is one degree inferior to the X-TRAIL.

A conventional two-row wagon style vehicle the Koleos features a rake-adjustable but fixed (ie: doesn't slide) second row. This second row is splitfold and features a skiport. The squab can be tumbled via remote levers located at the rear of the car on higher-spec models. The result is not a fully flat load area but a useful one nonetheless.

All up there's a claimed 1380 litres of volume available. Seating five, the measurement's still a family-sized 450 litres. Allowing even more (longer) loads to be carried, the front passenger seatback folds flat forward.

In the back seat there's good room for two adults or three 'tweens'. Rear legroom is claimed to be class leading, but a pair of six-footers up front will mean there's adequate rather than ample space. Passengers will appreciate B-pillar mounted vents and separate rear fan controls.

All versions benefit from a neat two-piece clamshell tailgate -- another differentiator from most softroaders (but not the Outlander, for example). The configuration features a short tailgate that Renault says is rated to 200kg. Just the thing from which to watch the kids' soccer or netball games.

In the spirit of Scenic and Megane, the interior storage options are many. Included are underfloor bins for second-row passengers plus the normal door pockets, centre consoles, etc. Some owners might go some months into ownership before they discover the excellent in-armrest storage a la Megane.

The upper-spec vehicles used at the Morocco launch were impressive in their detailing and appearance. The leather seat facings had a classy but simple longitudinal detail line. At least until we officially sample the new Laguna, we'd go so far as to say this is the best Renault interior we've seen.

The Koleos' dash panel is simple but well detailed too. The soft-touch upper panel stretches almost uninterrupted across the car, disrupted only by the main instrument binnacle and, in the Euro-spec cars, the satnav display. Local cars will have a multi-function display in place of the latter.

The lighter-hued interiors (two-tone beige and camel. Hey, we were in Morocco!) generated unwanted dash reflections in the screen. This wasn't helped by the near full glass roof. An option Down Under, we can't see many northerners opting for it. It features sliding sunshades but they are relatively light and won't keep Ol' Sol out for long. The charcoal-coloured dash and interior would be our pick.

Sited under a hooded binnacle, the instrumentation is clear, though the speedo graduations won't suit all Aussie states (odd speeds are highlighted). Controls are sensibly laid out but need some getting used to. For example we'd like the HVAC panel a touch larger and higher in the console, but at least the climate control system is set and forget.

There's no chance of the Koleos being mistaken for one of its Nissan counterparts. With a fastback profile and distinctly Renault nose, it's an attractive vehicle with decent proportions. The designers have done well especially in the wheel/body relationship. The big 17-inch alloys (shod with appropriate Continental or Hankook rubber) give the car a strong planted appearance.

SAFETY
Renault says Koleos "has been engineered to provide impeccable performance on both the active and passive safety fronts". Though still to be crash tested, the carmaker is expecting five stars from Euro NCAP.

Stability control is standard on all models, as are antilock brakes. The 4x4 variants also get hill descent control and a hill holder function.

The softroader's four-wheel disc brakes are essentially carried over from X-TRAIL, however the Koleos gets significantly larger front discs -- 320mm, versus 296mm units in the Nissan. Both vehicles use 292mm rear rotors.

All things being equal, bigger discs mean bigger stopping power. Renault claims the Koleos' 100km/h-0 stopping distance of 42m is "one of the shortest stopping distances to be found in the SUV/crossover segment".

As is the case with the X-TRAIL, the ALL-MODE 4x4i system can make a significant contribution to active safety active safety. In cahoots with the antilock and stability control systems this should render the car near-foolproof on most surfaces.

Renault claims the Koleos' structure benefits from the company's heavy investment in accident research. In addition to the car's conventional safety cell, passive systems include six airbags (including full side curtain bags), load limiters for the front and outer rear seatbelts, front seatbelt pretensioners and active front head restraints.

Important in this type of vehicle, Renault says particular attention was paid to sight lines. Our only question mark is on the rear three-quarter vision. The rear quarter glazing is small and the D-pillar large enough to make over the shoulder checks less informative than they could be.

There is no reverse camera available, however, radar-style park assist will be fitted standard to the premium models.

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

The company is aiming to sell up to 200 of the softroaders per month. Local boss Rudi Koenig said earlier this year the SUV's volume would be a catalyst to Renault Australia growing its dealer numbers beyond its current 25-strong network.

To do so, the Renault will have to steal sales from established 4x4s in the segment such as Honda's CRV, Mitsubishi Outlander and the Toyota RAV4, in addition to its Nissan counterparts. By the time it arrives Down Under in September it will also face VW's stylish Tiguan.

Add in improved Korean brand offerings such as Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, and the segment is crowded. And then there's Mazda's thirsty but stylish CX-7, or Chrysler's softroader twins, Compass and Patriot. And around the corner, the Dodge Journey.

At least four of the above are already on sale with the choice of diesel powertrains. In 2009/10 the Renault will also face Peugeot's Outlander-based 4007 and other (more expensive) Euro entrants such as Volvo's XC60 and Audi's Q5.

The 4x2 version of Koleos will cast its net even wider -- everything from hatches to compact wagons.

There's no shortage of buyers to target. Koleos' task will not be identifying potential purchasers -- it will be standing out from the crowd and getting on shopping lists.

ON THE ROAD
The road loop safety briefing should have been the clue. The Renault representative explained we should not be afraid to use the horn… "It is expected," she said with a glint in her eye.

And indeed, there were plenty of opportunities to use the horn as we exited the chaos that is Fez. Jungle rules apply on Moroccan roads -- or so it seemed to us. Double lines, and blind crests are overtaking opportunities while lane markings and red lights appear optional.

The Koleos' gutsy turbodiesel powerplant, reasonable acceleration (positively rocket-like compared to Fez's aging Benz taxi fleet and the ubiquitous Renault 4s), good brakes and better-than-average sightlines, made the initiation into driving North African style as fuss-free as it could have been. The SUV stock-in-trade 'command' driving position didn't hurt either.

In traffic, the Koleos' relatively compact size allowed it to take advantage of the gaps that emerged, and even if you were caught a gear too high (there were no CVTs or autos available to drive at the launch), the 2.0-litre dCi powerplant helped you torque your way out of trouble.

This was a good thing, for the manual shifts of both the petrol and turbodiesel examples we drove were baulky to say the least. The petrol especially was a shocker. This is at odds with the manual X-TRAILs we've driven, so we'll be keen to see if Renault sorts out the issue by the time production cars hit Australia.

On roads that ranged from barely formed rock-strewn tracks to potholed tertiary roads, the cosseting ride of the Koleos was especially noteworthy. Supple and quiet, the suspension tuning took the worst the roads could deliver and fed very little back to the occupants. Renault says it has paid particular attention to tuning the car for a comfortable ride on all roads. Mission accomplished.

Alas it comes at the expense of handling. While there's nothing evil about the way the Koleos copes with windy bitumen, it's not going to win any handling comparisons. The electrically assisted steering is too light. Lifeless in terms of feel, it provides zero feedback (and this from the same company that brings us the Clio III RS!)...

While initial turn-in is reasonably tidy, the soft spring and damping settings allow plenty of body roll, despite the best efforts of substantial roll bars front and rear.

Mercifully, pitch is well controlled, but precision is eroded by the way the car 'kneels' on its outside front wheel. Even at relatively modest speeds understeer is the default response. The impression of roll is increased thanks to front seats which lack lateral support. They're not soft, just flat -- but otherwise comfortable.

But we'll forgive the Koleos its uninspiring handling due to the great cabin execution. Given most softroader buyers in Australia are looking for family, rather than rapid, transport this aspect is arguably more important.

The dash is stylish, well laid-out and the build quality even in these early build examples was excellent. We detected not a shutline or dash joint out of line, and even on the rocky farm and mountains tracks near Ifrane to the south of Fez, there was not so much a squeak, let alone rattle.

As noted above the front seats are too flat for this tester's liking, but that aside it was possible to get a good driving position (wheel is reach and rake adjustable). We noted the pedals of the left-hand-drive cars we were driving were well offset to the right. It will be interesting to see if our right hookers are similarly afflicted.

Koleos draws on decades of packaging expertise on the Renault side of the fence, and arguably the segment's best underpinnings, thanks to Nissan. That the result is an impressive 'first' effort is no surprise.

» Watch the Carsales Network's video on the Renault Koleos

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