Renault Koleos Review

 

Renault Koleos Updates

 Renault launched the premium SUV Renault Koleos  in India in diesel variant only. Renault Koleos price starts at Rs 22,99 lakh(ex showrom Delhi). Renault Koleos specifications reveal that the SUV is powered with a 1,995cc engine, which can pump a maximum power of 150bhp and a peak torque of 320Nm.

Renault Koleos Description :

French automaker Renault has slated an aggressive outlook since its break up of ties with homegrown SUV maker Mahindra in India. On May 23, 2011, it launched the flagship sedan Renault Fluence in India and has slated to launch four more cars until 2012 end. The Renault Koleos, an SUV is the second offering by the carmaker in India.

Koleos, a seemingly full-grown SUV is a blend of power delivery, driving pleasure and style. Its relentless 4x4 capabilities are able to take on any terrain. Stunning exteriors and inspiringly comfortable and exceptionally silent interiors is what Renault Koleos promises.         

Renault Koleos is available diesel variant only. Probably, Renault must have sensed that it is diesel powered cars that are in vogue in India compared to petrol ones. Dwindling sales of petrol cars is due to the rise in petrol prices. Renault Koleos Diesel is powered by a 2.0 litre diesel engine. The 2.0 litre dCi, 1995cc, Euro-IV, common rail diesel engine churns out a top power of 150hp. The engine is coupled with a 6-speed automatic transmission that results in greater acceleration 0-100 kmph in 12.3 seconds. It has a top-speed of 180 kmph. The Renault Koleos is available in 4X4 version.
The official website of Renault India says that the Renault Koleos is a multi-tasker that has the comfort of a sedan, spacious as MPV and attributes of a 4x4 version. The Renault design team did fairly great efforts to give it a completely new look and the Nissan engineers turned it a lovable machine. The front fascia of the premium compact SUV- Renault Koleos- looks aggressive with front split grille, middle grille and lower grille surrounded by tough skid plates. The headlamps and fog lamps do have distinctive designs that make it new face in the segment. The side view has got body color rear view mirrors and door handles. The rear side has got very special split opening tail gate that allows loading of over one meter wide objects in the trunk. Other rear side features are large taillights, rear spoiler with high stop lamp, compact antenna, rear wiper on wider windshield and three reflectors as well.

The Renault Koleos interior looks are much better than the outside; it has spacious cabin, funky dashboard and well thought seating arrangement for five. The cabin comes with much needed interior comfort features. The car has soft-touch material at the dash; AC vents are placed at the dashboard in a stylish way, they find their place at the top while the AC controls and audio controls are placed very low at the centre dash that might trouble the driver when operating. The steering wheel of the Renault Koleos is ‘tilt and reach’ adjustable, and comes with three spokes and chrome inserts. It also offers ample storage area in the form of large glovebox, underfloor compartments, folding tray tables, etc. The rear seats row can be folded flat that increases cargo capacity up to 1,340 litre. However, it is reported that the rear seat row is not comfortable in terms of legroom. The interior wear leather upholstery.

Renault Koleos is loaded with most of the advanced safety features including Anti-lock Braking System with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution system (EBD) with Brake Assist, airbags, front fog lamps, all disc brakes, parking sensors, etc.

Renault Koleos Models

Renault Koleos 4x4 Diesel:

This Koleos SUV powered by 1995cc, 2L diesel engine. It has a maximum power of 150hp that it churns out at 4000rpm. It also produces a maximum torque of 320Nm at as low as 2000rpm. The engine has been mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Mileage, Average and Fuel Economy

The much-awaited Renault compact SUV- Renault Koleos is launched in India with a 2.0 litre diesel power plant. There is one engine trim offered with Koleos i.e. a 2.0 litre, 150 hp engine. The engine is coupled with 6-speed automatic transmission. With the base 150hp engine, you can achieve a top speed of 180 kmph. The engine is developed to deliver higher fuel efficiency and engine power. The Renault Koleos mileage is 13.7 kmpl.

Power

This car from Renault and Nissan alliance, Renault Koleos, is loaded with a 2.0 litre, dCi, common rail diesel engine that produces different level of engine output with different trims along with automatic 6 speed gearbox. The base motor develops a top power of 150 hp. The 2.0 litre, 150 hp, diesel engine can do 0-100 kmph sprint in just 12.3 seconds with a top-speed of 180 kmph.

Colors

The exact number of exterior body colors of the Renault Koleos is three-Ultra Silver, White Pearl and Black Metallic.

Ultra Silver	White Pearl	Black Metallic
These colors are available with all variants of Renault Koleos

Acceleration and Pick up

The long awaited Renault Koleos is embedded with a 2.0 litre, dCi, Euro-4, common rail diesel motor; the engine is available in single trim that is 150 hp. The engine is incorporated with 6 speed automatic gearbox. The 150 hp diesel engine covers 0-100 kmph in just 12.3 seconds with a top speed of 180 kmph Therefore, if you are looking for more powerful and zipper SUV, you should go for the 150 hp diesel engine. The SUV has a turning radius of 11.6m.

Renault Koleos Exteriors

Exterior Appearance

The Renault Koleos is the first crossover compact SUV from the company and the auto firm has put their best effort to give it a distinctive and functional design job. Renault has expertise in giving car designs while its partner Nissan has developed the car carrying innovative design work from Renault. The India bound Renault Koleos  targets the urban audience as it has a crossover type body that looks and performs similar to an SUV along with bearing lots of off-road capabilities.

The Renault Koleos as said earlier is a compact SUV car that looks like an SUV, It provides ample storage room inside the cabin. The car has a sporty stance that is visible from its front and rear side view. There is a new bold sporty fully chromed grille.

The front view of the Renault Koleos comes with distinctive twin barrel headlamps, three slot grilles and oval shaped front fog lamps. The body color bumper houses fog lamps and skid plate that covers the lower grille. It has got body color rear view mirrors; it has black shade lower panel as well. The door handles also match to the body color. The side view of the car resembles a true SUV with its wide wheel arches and roof rails.

The rear end of the Renault Koleos carries a bulge out design; the tail lamps cover a bit of tail gate and the rest of it sits on the side. The Koleos sports a high stop brake lamp at the rear spoiler and three reflectors at the bumper, it also consists of chrome skid plate as well. The tailgate of the Renault Koleos is split open type that allows the user to load more than one meter wide articles.

Exterior Measurements

The overall length of the Renault Koleos is 4520mm, width 1855mm and height 1695mm. By seeing the exterior looks, the crossover seems smaller than an SUV but is more spacious inside. The Renault Koleos SUV has a gross weight of 2300kg.

Renault Koleos Interiors

Interior Appearance

The Renault Koleos is introduced eye-catching and functional interior features. The car has leather upholstery and chrome inserts in the front cabin at various parts. There are four AC vents with chrome surrounding. These are fitted in such a way that the vents face the occupants and ensure better airflow. The instrumentation of the Renault Koleos has been positioned behind the steering wheel; it has three round dials and all get chrome rings, you can easily make out the reading of the meters. A major disappointment in the dashboard is placing of the audio and AC controls; they are fitted too low at the centre dash and it may become difficult to reach the cluster.

The three-spoke steering wheel of the Renault Koleos is wrapped in leather; it has chrome inserts at the top as well. The front cabin is spacious and allows comfortable seating for the driver and the co-driver. There is a plenty of storage space in the cabin wherein you can put small things and heavy and large luggage in the cargo area which can be further increased by folding down the rear seats. The seats also hae seat back tables for extra comfort and space.

Interior Comfort

In terms of comfort, the Renault Koleos has a lot of comfort features whether it's occupant's comfort or the luggage area. The rear seat row of the car allows three people to sit; if required you can also fold them down and load more luggage. The standard luggage area would be 480 litres. Apart from that, the car has got other small storage areas as well; these are: large glovebox, underfloor compartments, folding tray tables, etc. The upcoming Renault Koleos is equipped with BOSE audio system and AC.

The Renault SUV Koleos has dual zone air conditioning and the front and rear passengers can select individual temperature and fan speeds. There are three modes-Soft, Fast and Auto.

The interiors are cald in premium beige and seats have all leather upholstery in order to enhance the sporty look of the car. The driver seat is six way power adjustable to give ultimate comfort during Koleos drive. The steering is a tilt and telescopic type so that the driver can adjust it in the most comfortable driving position. The rear AC vents in the Koleos SUV by Renault helps maintain the temperature inside the SUV.

Interior Measurements

The Renault Koleos is a compact SUV produced by Renault-Nissan alliance. It has a seating capacity of 5 passengers. In the front row of the car, there is sufficient overall space for comfort seating. The reviews claim that the rear side seat row has ample legroom.

Engine Capacity and Performance

The India bound Renault Koleos is equipped with a 2.0 litre diesel motor; the 2.0 litre, dCi, 1995c, Euro-4 common rail diesel rail powertrain pumps out maximum power of  150 hp. The power and torque is transmitted via automatic six-speed gearbox. The 150hp diesel engine can cover 0-100 kmph in just 12.3 seconds. The 150 hp motor allows to speed up to 180 kmph. The Renault Koleos is introduced in 4X4 drive version. The engine type is M9R 865.

The engine has been affixed with a 6-speed automatic gearbox with the 4WD functionality. There are three modes of the 4x4 I transmission viz. Auto, lock Mode and 2WD mode. The Koleos is at the auto mode when it starts and distributes the greatest torque to the wheels that have the greatest grip on the road thus ensuring that the Koleos takes on any terrain with ease. The lock mode equally distributes the torque to the front and the rear wheels when the Koleos speeds to around 40kmph. In the 2WD mode the torque is channelized to two wheels only and is suitable for any dry roads or highway driving.

Wheels

The Renault Koleos is expected to be fitted with standard 17 inch wheels; the standard tyres specifications would be 225/60 R 17. It is also said that the company would offer optional wheels and tyres as well. A spare wheel in accordance to the vehicle is also offered.

Braking and Handling

The Renault Koleos is launched with both front and rear disc brakes along with ABS with EBD and brake assist. The suspension system of the car is segment common front MacPherson type and multi-link type rear suspension. The combined result of the braking and suspension system ensures greater handling and control over the crossover. Both the systems do their duty with accuracy even on off-road terrains.

The Cruise control with speed limited function is there on the steering of the Koleos that lets the SUV cruise at constant speeds without the need of keeping the accelerator pedal pressed. The speed limiter function limits the top speed of the Koleos.

Handling and Safety

As far as safety is concerned, Renault Koleos is a safe crossover. The car has received a 5 star score in the EuroNCAP tests. The company claims that the compact SUV has all the needed active and passive safety equipments. The Renault Koleos is gifted with most of the standard and advanced safety features including Anti-lock Braking system with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution system (EBD) with Brake Assist, airbags, front fog lamps, all disc brakes, parking sensors, etc. For the handling point of view, the Renault Koleos comes packed with all disc brakes, ABS with EBD and brake assist, sound suspension and rigid chassis.

The Renault SUV has rain and light sensors that automatically switch on the front wipers in case there is rain or water on the windscreen. The light sensor turns on the headlights automatically whenever it gets dark or when the Renault Koleos enters a tunnel.

There are anti-Whiplash headrests at the front in the Koleos SUV that prevents any head/neck injury in case of an impact from the rear. The power windows of the Renault Koleos automatically goes down whenever there is an obstruction while the windows is closing. 

Renault Koleos also has Rear Parking Proximity sensors that help in parking the SUV in even cramped parking zones. The Koleos also has a Smart Access Card that lets the car open close based on your proximity to the car. There is also a start stop function that lets the car start and stop with the help of a start/stop button.

Stereo and Accessories

The India bound Renault Koleos is equipped with BOSE stereo that supports CD/MP3 media; the controls of the Audio in the overseas version are placed below the standard practice that might trouble the driver to operate it without leaning towards it, that ultimately distracts the driver's attention on road. The Renault Koleos also has manual AC in the base version and automatic AC in the top-end model. There are eight high performance speakers make every driving entertaining irrespective of the terrain the Koleos is put to test. The Koleos SUV also has Bluetooth connectivity and plug in music options to connect USB and iPod.

Renault Koleos Pros :

Exterior is distinctive, powerful turbo diesel engine, proven safest car, ample storage space inside cabin.

Renault Koleos Cons :

Legroom in the second seat row seems quite tight. Audio and AC controls sit too far from the driver's reach, dealer and service centre network is a major concern so far.