Tim Britten•18 Aug 2014
REVIEW
Renault Koleos BOSE 2014 Review
Is the Koleos the SUV Renault had to have, more than the one it would have liked to have?Renault Koleos BOSE
Road Test
The Koleos is probably the least-Renault vehicle currently on the French company's Australian books. With its Nissan X-TRAIL underpinnings, the compact SUV, especially in front wheel drive form, feels Japanese, not French. We're not saying that is a bad thing: Just that you'd think Renault buyers would be desirous of a touch of the savoir faire that is noticeably absent here. The Renault Koleos range starts from $27,990 (plus on-road costs).
Although you'd never guess it from the outside looking in, there's a relationship between the Renault's Koleos and the Nissan X-TRAIL – and it's one that become rather evident after a just couple of kays at the wheel.
The recently revised styling may clearly state Renault, but the essence of the Koleos is essentially Japanese. There's not much French in there: the underpinnings are lifted more or less directly from the previous-generation (T31-series) X-TRAIL, and the vehicle is actually built at Renault Samsung's plant in Korea.
So, on the road, the Koleos suggests no connection between it and, say, a Renault Clio or Megane. The seats are pretty flat and shapeless, the steering lacks feel and the general ambience falls short of the cosiness that is generally associated with anything French.
In front-drive, mid-specification 'BOSE' form, as tested here, the handling is pretty uninspiring too. The Koleos tends to push (understeer) through corners via too-light steering, which is pretty much what you'd expect given the agreeably soft ride.
And the front-drive configuration, while mostly hiding quietly under the car's SUV guise, becomes evident in the wheelspin experienced when executing uphill standing starts, with maybe a bit of gravel or moisture on the road surface.
That said, the Koleos is quiet enough on the open road, which helps make the most of the classy BOSE sound system that headlines this special edition variant. It also adds to the overall feelings of refinement.
The 2.5-litre 126kW/226Nm four-cylinder petrol engine has little trouble motivating the SUV's 1622kg kerb weight [heavier than the Mazda CX-5 and Volkswagen Tiguan opposition], helped along by the nicely matched continuously variable transmission to provide strong responses where you need them.
The test car's fuel consumption provided an interesting conundrum: Averaging 7.6L/100km during a week-long period with the car, it easily trounced the officially quoted average of 9.6L/100km. This was gratifying, although the figures quoted for the 118kW/240Nm 1.4-litre turbo-petrol Tiguan two-wheel drive and the 114kW/200Nm 2.0-litre petrol CX-5 (7.3L/100km and 6.4L/100km respectively) are still better.
In terms of packaging, the Koleos scores well. General passenger space brings no complaints, with plenty of legroom for rear-seat occupants, and the 450-litre boot isn't too shabby in this category – better by far than Tiguan and better than Mazda CX-5 – although not much extra is gained by folding down the rear seats, where both Volkswagen and Mazda actually outscore it comfortably.
The Renault's split tailgate and easy-fold rear-seat backrests, that glide open to form a properly-flat load space via levers accessible from the boot, help make amends though.
We liked the soft-touch dash and door trims, were less impressed by the unyielding leather-rimmed steering wheel and, although the rotary dial controller for the standard sat-nav, audio and Bluetooth telephony was easy to understand and operate, the same couldn't be said for the supposedly ergonomic but hidden switches for phone answer, volume and hang-up on the steering column control stalk.
Encouraging the climate control to counteract chilly winter weather took some determination too, and we were a little surprised the BOSE version of the Koleos offers no standard reversing camera, just front and rear parking sensors (the camera is optional).
Of course the subwoofer-aided four-speaker, two-tweeter BOSE sound system did a sterling job, adding to the feeling you've spent your money wisely. The primo audio package is complemented by technology offerings that include rain-sensing windscreen wipers, automatic headlights, black leather upholstery and cruise control system with a built-in speed limiter.
The Renault's five-star safety rating is enhanced by the inclusion of a blind-spot warning system as well as the usual array of airbags and electronic chassis control aids.
It is still hard to escape the feeling, though, that this is more the compact SUV Renault had to have, than the one its engineers would have liked to have. It is one of the less-impressive performers in Renault's current Australian sales surge which, at the last count (July 2014), was up almost 50 per cent on the same time last year.
2014 Renault Koleos BOSE pricing and specifications:
Price: $35,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 126kW/226Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 9.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 223g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP
| What we liked: | Not so much: |
| >> Excellent BOSE audio system | >> Shapeless seats |
| >> Generous passenger space | >> Uninspiring handling |
| >> Almost-cushy ride levels | >> Mismatched ergonomics |
Tags
Renault
Car Reviews
SUV
Family Cars
Written byTim Britten
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
Expert rating
65/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
15/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
14/20
Safety & Technology
16/20
Behind the Wheel
10/20
X-Factor
10/20
Related articles
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Love every move.
Buy it. Sell it.Love it.
®Contact
Advertise with us
Local marketplaces
International marketplaces
Scan to download the carsales app
Want more info? Here’s our app landing page
App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo
are trademarks of Google LLC.