Main image:
Design-wise,
the new
Renault Koleos
is a beefed-
up Renault
Mégane,
interesting
especially
from the front.
Opposite
page, top:
Renault’s
R-Link
infotainment
adds to the
overall aura of
luxury inside.
Opposite
page, bottom:
The Koleos has
the longest
wheelbase in
its segment
which
translates
into more
leg-, head-,
shoulder- and
elbow room.
R
emember old spaghetti
western movies? A lone
wolf would walk through
those swinging doors, giving
every other guy in the tavern a
Clint Eastwood-like stare before
sitting down and ordering a
glass of the barkeep’s finest
whisky. The other gentlemen in
said establishment wouldn’t
dare stare at this man for too
long, for he had the six-shooter
with the longest barrel.
The modern equivalent of
this scenario is the school run.
A bunch of men gathering
together, staring uncomfortably
as a new rival enters. Unlike the
days where having the longest
barrel mattered, these days it’s
all about the cars. The
undisputed king of the school
drop-off zone is the Hilux/
Fortuner/RAV4, which is akin
to having a rifle as long as The
Rock’s forearm.
Thankfully, the school
drop-off is only an occasional
experience but one we tend to
win for obvious reasons. Pitchit, we’ll assume it stands out
enough to attract some
attention. Design-wise, it’s a
beefed-up Renault Mégane.
Interesting from some angles,
less so from others.WILL THE KIDS LIKE IT?
Undoubtedly. The Koleos has
the longest wheelbase in its
segment, which translates into
more leg-, head-, shoulder- and
elbow room. Those annoying
complaints that “Frikkie is on
my side of the seat” will
disappear overnight. The
464-litre boot is also big enough
to accommodate daily school
bags and sports equipment. On
longer trips it will easily swallow
four large bags and the
obligatory cake tin with boiled
eggs, sandwiches and frikadelle.IS IT ADULT-FRIENDLY
AS WELL?
Yes, especially if you relish the
feel of respectable build quality.
It not only feels good, but looks
superb as well. There are somewooden inlays but they’re
tastefully incorporated into the
dark interior.
Renault’s R-Link info-
tainment adds to the overall
aura of luxury. Unlike most
infotainment systems, it’s
mounted into the dash
vertically, smartphone-style. It’s
easy to use when it comes to the
basic functions but we do wish
Renault included a separate
cluster of switches for the
climate control.
Otherwise, it’s a delight. It
can display more than one
function at one time and it’s
Apple CarPlay and Android
Auto compatible. Apple
CarPlay’s horizontal layout
doesn’t display particularly well
on a vertical screen but it’s a
small niggle.
The noise, vibration and
harshness levels are less easy to
forgive. If we didn’t have a
long-term RAV4 we wouldn’t
have noticed the Renault’s
thinner cladding, but we do and
we did. It doesn’t make the68 SEPTEMBER 2019 leisurewheels.co.za
FAMILY MAN
GOES FRENCH
In a seemingly overcrowded segment, does the
Renault Koleos stand any chance of gaining the
attention of the average family man?
up with a Ford Raptor or
Mercedes G63 and you’ve
essentially carpet bombed the
parking lot.
Then there are the random
instances where you arrive in a
run-of-the-mill mid-size SUV
like the Renault Koleos. It’s not
offensive, in the same way that
it’s nowhere near a conversation
starter. Or at least that’s what
we thought.
On a dreary Tuesday
morning, standing to the side of
the playground, slowly preparing
to leave, one fellow father
skulked on over to ask about it.
Already this generation
Koleos is in a better position
than the older one which didn’t
enjoy much popularity here.
Instead of giving the inquisitive
parent the full low-down on the
car, we promised to dedicate an
entire missive to answer all his
burning questions.WILL IT STAND OUT?
Since this whole thing started
because of a man asking aboutTEST Renault Koleos Dynamique 4x4 CVT