The Renault Koleos was designed by Renault but was developed by Japanese partners Nissan. It is a compact entry level luxury SUV and was introduced to India in 2012. The Koleos competes against the Ford Endeavor, Ssangyong Rexton, Honda CR-V and the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Koleos only comes in one variant with a diesel engine, automatic transmission and it is also has 4WD.
Design & Styling
The Koleos has a compact design and the car looks small on the road. It follows a slightly conservative design approach but is expressive in its own way. The car is low to the ground and is around 4.5 metres in length, and so it looks nicely proportioned. The front grille is nice and not too loud, the front headlights are also nicely designed and give the car a good front-end look. The rear is especially nice with the split taillights. The car also has a good ground clearance of 206mm but there isn’t much muscle attributed to the side body making the car look more practical and less aggressive. The nice 17inch alloy wheels add a nice classy touch to the car.
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Interiors
The interiors are nice and the quality is very good. The dashboard is also setup very nice and the instrument cluster is nicely visible and full of various information. There is good amount of room in the car, but since it is a compact SUV, the rear seats are not the best in terms of space, but the cabin still is quite comfortable and the seats are very nice and plush. There are plenty of luxury notes added here and there and make the cabin quite charming.
Engine & Transmission
The Koleos is a 4WD that comes with a 1995cc 4-cylinder engine that can create 148bhp, which we think is a little too less for this car, but it does have massive torque at 320Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a very capable 6-speed automatic transmission.
Performance and Handling
The Koleos does have quite a kick in its engine even though it does seem just a little bit underpowered. But the engine is just so well refined and you get good amounts of torque in the lower revs in low gears. However the one problem we faced is that the automatic transmission does seem a bit lazy and makes very late changes. A 0-100kmph dash will take you more than 12 seconds. Other than that power is adequate but what is really fantastic is the ride quality of the car. Once again Renault has hit the nail on the head with a superb suspension setup. Both on and off-the road the car seems very much at home, and with 4WD you wont need to worry about taking on some pretty adventurous terrain. The overall performance is nice and the driver will always feel relaxed because the car responds well and is easy to handle.
Fuel Efficiency
You can expect to get a fuel economy anywhere between 9-11kmpl, because of the automatic transmission.
Features
The Koleos comes with power steering, power windows, leather interiors, dual zone auto climate control, smart access key with push start/stop, cruise control ad speed limiter, and to top it off there is a sublime BOSE audio system with 8 performance speakers and steering mounted controls, a display unit and Bluetooth.
Safety
Safety technology includes ABS, EBD and Brake assist and 6 SRS airbags including side and curtain airbags.
Quality & Reliability
The overall quality of the car is top-notch and uses very good materials. The exterior design is nice and the interiors are nice and plush with high-end upholstery. Then there is a good finishing touches and the superb refinement of the engine. The car is very reliable but it could set you back a bit in terms of servicing and repairs, as parts can be expensive but they are also easily available.
Value for Money
In terms of value for money its not really the best deal out there, but it still is a good package. You are definitely getting your money’s worth, but in all honesty you could get a bigger SUV for far less and with the same features.
Verdict
The Koleos is not the best buy out there, but it is a very practical and efficient car. Its good for the cities and in city traffic and it is comfortable enough and easy to handle on long trips. It does not however have the most powerful engine for the price range but it does fit into the entry level premium SUV segment. You might want to look around before you decide to buy it.
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