Renault lands Koleos Initiale

Renault Australia has topped its Koleos line-up with a new special-edition called the Initiale.

Positioned above the Koleos Intens flagships on which it's based at $49,490 drive-away, the Initiale adds unique 'Black Amethyst' metallic paint, specific 19-inch alloy wheels and unique interior leather trim stitching.

These features are on top of standard Intens equipment including an electric tailgate, LED headlights, panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate-control, 8.7-inch portrait-style touch-screen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite-navigation, heated and ventilated front seats and ambient interior lighting.

Standard carryover safety features include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, hill-start assist, reversing camera and front/rear parking sensors.

Like other Koleos models, the Initiale is powered by a 126kW/226Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, CVT automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

"In 2017, the Koleos became Renault Australia's best-selling model ever and accounted for 29 per cent of our total sales," said Renault Australia managing director Andrew Moore.

"This new special-edition, called Koleos Initiale, sits above the Intens variant and adds even more sophistication to this already well-loved nameplate. Priced at $49,490 drive-away, we are confident this vehicle will be a hit with customers,"

Last year Renault Oz sold 3120 examples of the Koleos — more than doubling its 2016 sales but well behind the nation's most popular mid-size SUVs including the Mazda CX-5 and Nissan X-TRAIL, which found almost 19,000 buyers and shares its platform with the Koleos.