Road Test : Renault Koleos

Review by Tristan Tancredi - 30 May 2012

Classified as a Compact Crossover SUV, the Renault Koleos has quietly entered the Australian market.

With hardly a whisper, no hoo-haa or whiz-bang fireworks accompaning its release, the revamped Koleos has quietly made its way back into the fold.

One look at the all new Renault Koleos and the upgrades the French Automakers have made since their 2008-2011 models is apparent. A redesigned front grille sets itself apart from past models and stamps itself into the Australian market as a player against the big boys.

In no way a big player in the Australian market, Renault hot-shots will hope that the refined Koleos will increase their standing in the market and give Renault a decent cut of the total market share.

We take a closer look at the 4X2 6-Speed CVT here, and it sure does have a few surprises up its sleeve.

Drive: 4/5

With a number of versions available (4X2 Petrol Manual, 4X2 Petrol CVT, 4X4 Diesel Automatic and 4X4 Petrol CVT), we were lucky enough to get our hands on the 4X2 Petrol CVT.

After inserting the key, which looks more like an iPod, a push start button got the Electronic Mutli-point injected engine purring and we were off and running in the French people mover.

Fumbling our way with the navigation and radio controls (We will go more into that later when we critique the Interior), we finally got our destination sorted and headed for some smooth and not so smooth terrain.

The SUV handled itself well on all surfaces, the light steering provides enough excitement and response to keep everyone happy. Off-road and the car hits humps and bumps with minimal fuss. With a ground clearance of 204 mm, off-roading is practical, yet not exactly what the Koleos was built for.

It's ideally built for mums to drop their kids off at school, as it comes with enough look-at-me factor to give any mum the neccessary confidence.

The 6-Speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) transitions through the gears seamlessly, yet as you would expect, doesn't set the road ablaze with speed and power, rather it gets you to your destination in comfort and style.

The positioning of the drivers seat provides great views to the road ahead, to the left and right, and through all of the mirrors yet with a car of this size and weight, a turning circle between curbs of 11.6 metres has to be expected.

Engine: 4/5

A 4 cylinder Euro4 Electric Multi-Point Injected Engine sits within the hood of the Renault Koleos 4X2. (A diesel engine variant is available for the Koleos 4X4 with Direct Common rail and water cooled turbocharger).

The 4X2 Koleos comes with either 6-speed manual transmission or 6-speed CVT transmission. Both the 6-speed manual and the 6-speed CVT deliver maximum power of 126 kW @ 6000 rpm and maximum torque at 226 Nm @ 4,400 rpm.

The 4X2 6-Speed CVT drinks 9.3 litres of fuel per 100kms, whilst the 4X2 6-Speed Manual is slightly thirstier, with figures at 9.6 litres per 100kms. The Manual and CVT have CO2 emission figures of 223g per km and 230g per km respectively.

Both variants have 65 litre fuel capacity and take Unleaded 95 RON.

Exterior: 4/5

Not only does the Renault Koleos pack a family inside in comfort, it also looks the part of a modern, stylised SUV.

Now, I'm not fantastic with colours, but the 4X2 Koleos we were kicking around in for a week seemed to be a greeny-blue colour (I was later told it was grey. Debatable). Whatever the colour, it looked a treat.

With sexier curves then Jessica Alba (That may be a long bow to draw), the Koleos is a ripping looking SUV. Front the front, the diamond logo of Renault takes centre stage amidst a front grille, the headlights wrap around the corners of the car majestically and combine with stylised lines that flow throughout the length of the vehicle.

The SUV measures in at 4520mm long, 2120mm wide and 1710mm tall (including roof bars).

The Koleos is quite a heavy car, weighing in at 2150kg which translates to limited performance.

Plastic mud flaps, silver lined roof rails and stylish 18" wheels that sit the car with adequate space above the ground are just some of the features that combine to offer a great family car.

Safety: 5/5

The Renault Koleos' 5 star rating success dates back to their 2008 model. Every year since, and Renault has achieved the best safety score possible for their Koleos.

The 2012 model has yet to be assessed by ANCAP, however if I were a betting man, i'd be throwing all my chips in for another 5 star rating. All you have to do, is take a look through their safety features.

ABS with Emergency Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Programme, Dual Front, Side, Front/Rear Curtain Airbags, Comfort-Adjustable Anti-Whiplash Front Headrests, Automatic Dusk Sensing Headlights, Automatic Windscreen Wipers, Rear Parking Sensors, Fog lights and "See Me Home" Function Headlights

Also, in an emergency situation the doors will automatically unlock, the injection and ignition with deactivate and the hazard lights will kick on.

A full size spare alloy wheel is also sitting in the boot.

Interior: 3/5

The interior controlling system is configured in such a way that opposes simplicity. I'm not talking about the central display unit, nor am I talking about dual-zone climate control.

What I am talking about is both the Radio control buttons and the Navigation System Controls.

Sure, after a while they begin to make a spec of sense, but initially the Navigation Controls beg to ask the question. How do I enter a bloody destination?

The key controlling tool for the Renault Navigation is a toggle joystick knob that rotates through the onscreen menu. Accompanied by forward, back, and other buttons surrounding the keypad, the Navigation System is far from the easiest to use on the market.

Putting the controlling issues to the side and the inside of the Koleos is pretty darn sharp. Loaded with high-grade plastics, the black panels combined with silver plastic lines dominate the front and side of the interior cabin.

The Dynamique version which we were lucky enough to drive for a week comes standard with leather seating with stylish white-stitching, although looking the part, the drivers seat offers minimal lower back support and you will find yourself sliding from left to right around corners.

The key feature of the Koleos' interior is the multimedia screen. Standing out on the top of the front console, bordered with a silver frame, the screen sits neatly inside Renaults SUV.

Space is a key factor for any SUV, and the Koleos has plenty of it. Whether it be dropping the kids of at school or taking that weekend away, the Renault Koleos will keep you comfortable on just about any journey.

Despite the fact the radio interface was tricky to understand, the speakers aren't mindblowing and we couldn't get the AUX input to work, great viewpoints and access to mirrors, push start/stop button, push handbrake and a host of other features place the Koleos in the positives.

Overall: 3.5/5

Despite making a quiet entrance into the Australian market, those that have driven it (or seen it) are far from quiet in their praises of the compact SUV.

A few annoyances (Navigation system and radio, i'm looking at you guys) slighty hinder the enjoyment that is there to be had driving the Koleos. Ultimately a spacious interior, comfortable drive and a high safety score combine to deliver quite an impressive compact SUV.

Finding a pre-2012 Koleos on the road is probably harder then finding a needle in a haystack. But i'm sure that will change with the all new Koleos, especially out the front of the local primary school.

Prices begin from $28,490 (Base model Expression). The 2WD CVT begins at $34,490, whilst the top of the range petrol AWD Privilege costs $44,490.

* Prices are manufacturer list prices only, for the drive away price please contact your local authorised Renault dealer.