Renault Koleos review

Khodrocar - The Renault Koleos SUV is a medium-sized 4x4/crossover that was revealed at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show. Renault dealers in the UK began offering the Koleos for sale in 2017, and it sits in showrooms as a range flagship above the smaller Kadjar and Captur models.

The Koleos is built on the Renault/Nissan Common Module Family platform and, as such, shares much of its technology with both the similarly-sized Nissan X-Trail – one of its key competitors – and the smaller Kadjar. Other contenders for your money in the segment include the Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento, plus the Skoda Kodiaq and lower-end versions of the Land Rover Discovery Sport.

The Renault Koleos price list runs from around £27k to £34k and spans six different variants. The choices include two diesel engines, optional front-wheel drive or full four-wheel drive running gear, and your pick of manual and auto gearboxes – the latter being a constantly variable transmission (CVT) unit known as ‘X-Tronic’.

As Renault’s 4x4 flagship, the Koleos has spec lists that are pretty generous whichever trim level you pick. There are only two trims to choose from, which keeps things simple, and it all kicks off with the Dynamique S Nav. That trim comes with a 7-inch touchscreen featuring sat-nav and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, an opening panoramic sunroof and 18-inch alloy wheels. A higher-spec version is known as the Koleos Signature Nav and gets a bigger 8.7-inch touchscreen, LED headlamps and part-leather upholstery with heated front seats.

There’s only one Renault Koleos bodystyle, which means you get five doors and five seats – potentially a point against the Renault when the Skoda Kodiaq, Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe can all seat seven. It’s possible that Renault product planners felt a seven seater version would cannibalise Grand Scenic MPV sales.

The Renault Koleos is a fairly chunky vehicle and its height off the ground means it’s not the most agile of machines. Still, the engineers have produced a car that steers well, with neat and direct responses to inputs from the wheel. We’re also impressed with the body control in corners, as there’s not too much of the roll which can afflict this type of car and cause a certain amount of queasiness for passengers. It’s comfortable on fast, smooth roads as a result, but the trade-off is a ride around town that’s a bit thumpy and less serene.

We’re also impressed with the CVT auto, which makes for smooth and refined progress and gives good throttle response too. It has a setting that mimics the shift points in a dual-clutch transmission if you want to feel more involved in what the unit’s up to, but we found it far more relaxing to let the transmission do its own thing.

There are two diesel engines in the Koleos SUV’s portfolio, and the lower-powered version is a 128bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder unit that’s only available with two-wheel drive. Thus equipped, the Koleos will accelerate from zero to 62mph on 11.4 seconds, and on to a 115mph maximum. The torque figure of 320Nm is not to be sneezed at either, but if you want a bit more go, the 2.0-litre engine performs strongly and with considerable refinement. Torque is 380Nm and power is 175bhp, which, in four-wheel drive manual guise, delivers a 0 to 62mph time of 10.7 seconds and a 126mph maximum. Go for the CVT auto gearbox and the Koleos is even quicker off the line, reaching the 62mph benchmark in a sprightly 9.5 seconds. You can’t currently choose the smaller engine with four-wheel drive, or the more powerful unit as a front-driver.

The Renault Koleos price can look a little steep against rivals such as the Skoda Kodiaq, but once the French machine’s generous equipment levels have been factored-in the differential makes more sense.

Running costs for the Koleos will obviously be higher than those of its smaller Renault crossover stablemates, but shouldn’t be too alarming. The most efficient model is the 1.6dCi diesel which can eke up to 57.6mpg out of a gallon of diesel according to the official figures. The standard six-speed manual gearbox helps, as does the fact that the smaller engine only comes with front-wheel drive, saving weight and friction losses compared to the 4x4 models.

Even though it’s four-wheel drive only, the 2.0 dCi unit is also pretty efficient - especially considering its decent performance. Official figures suggest up to 50.4mpg is possible with manual gears, or 47.9mpg with the CVT X-Tronic.

C02 emissions for the smaller engine are quoted at 128g/km, putting the model in the 27% benefit-in-kind tax band for company car drivers. The bigger engine in 4x4 models emits 148g/km or 156g/km with X-Tronic, so BiK rates are 31 and 33 per cent respectively.

While most versions of the Koleos will attract a road tax charge of £140 per year, watch out if you put options on the top model that take the price over £40k. In that case you’ll face an annual £310 surcharge on top of the £140 until the car reaches its sixth birthday.