Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 129

F

rench car maker Renault
is vying for the hearts
and wallets of SUV-obsessed
Australia with the stylish,
spacious, keenly priced second-
generation Koleos.
Kicking things off is the Life
4x2 (for front-wheel drive) from
$30,990, with all the usual gear
like a reverse camera, rear
parking sensors, Bluetooth
phone and audio streaming, as
well as unexpected items such as
automatic air, automatic on/off
headlights and wipers and tyre-
pressure monitoring.
Next up is the Zen (yes, they’re
serious ...) CVT 4x2 from $35,490,
with vinyl upholstery, heated
front seats (electric adjustability
for the driver), keyless entry/
start, walk-away self-locking,
navigation and 18-inch alloys.
Intens 4x2 at $43,990 and
Intens 4x4, from $44,990, include
a driver-assistance package
consisting of Lane Departure,
Blind Spot and Forward Collision
warnings, as well as Autonomous
Emergency Braking.
A 2.0-litre turbodiesel 4x4 was
recently added to the range,

also in Intens specifi cation,

priced at $47,990.

Rivals such as the Mazda

CX-5, VW Tiguan, Ford Escape

and Subaru Forester offer

superior safety specifi cation,

especially at base-model level.

The latest Koleos is one of

the most spacious SUVs in its

class, offering comfy high-set

seating — ground clearance is a

lofty 213mm, affording excellent

all-round views — and impressive

rear-seat legroom.

Modern, clear instruments,

ample ventilation, heaps of

storage, and a sizeable luggage

area (from 458 litres to 1690

litres with the back seats folded)

further press home the Renault’s

family-friendly nature.

Except for the initially confusing

touchscreen interface and

indicator stalk placed on the left

side, there is nothing here to scare

away new-to-Renault prospectors.

Conversely, there is nothing

French beyond the badge, since

the Koleos is basically a reboxed

Nissan X-Trail made in South

Korea. So if you’re a happy Clio

or Megane owner desiring the

European SUV experience (as

offered by the VW Tiguan and

Ford Kuga) you might be a little

bit disappointed.

Petrol versions are powered

by a 126kW/226Nm 2.5-litre

four-cylinder petrol engine used

in the Nissan X-Trail for yonks.

In fact, along with the Nissan

Qashqai, they share the same

basic architecture — down to

the sophisticated multi-link

rear suspension.

Driven in bestselling Zen

4x2 guise, the Koleos is an

easy, simple and unassuming

performer. The CVT automatic

is tuned to make the most of the

Japanese powertrain, providing

lively off-the-line performance and

a steady stream of acceleration

response as required.

Press harder on the throttle,

though, and the 2.5 becomes

noticeably vocal, and yet there

isn’t the expected amount of

power available at speed. And

while the steering is light enough

to make parking easy, it lacks

suffi cient weight and feel to ever

engage keener enthusiasts.

There is no joy at all to be had

with this car’s handling.

Worse still, the suspension

and 18-inch alloy wheels combo

is just too bumpy and loud on

anything other than smooth

roads; again, this is at odds with

the brand’s usual supple ride.

Ultimately, then, the MkII

Koleos is a mixed bag: proven

mechanicals clothed in an

attractive, spacious body, but

with sub-par performance, ride

and refi nement. VW’s Tiguan

and the Ford Escape are much

better — and 100 per cent

genuine — Euro SUVs.

By Byron Mathioudakis

RENAULT KOLEOS FROM $30,990

THINGS WE LIKE

Striking design

Roomy interior

Generous warranty

Very easy to drive

Comfortable seats

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

Sluggish performance

Weak resale values

Firm ride on 18-inch wheels

Light and lifeless steering

Complicated central screen

functionality

No high-tech driver assist safety

tech availability on base model

SPEX (Zen 4x2)

Made in South Korea

2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol/CVT/

front-wheel drive

126kW of power at 6000rpm/226Nm

of torque at 4400rpm

0–100km in 9.5 seconds (claimed)

6.7L/100km highway, 10.4L/100km

city; 91 octane; CO 2 emissions are

188g/km

Warranty: Five years/unlimited

kilometres

Fuel tank is 60 litres

Max towing capacity 2000kg

Standard: Six airbags, stability

control, cruise control with speed

limiter, Hill Start Assist, camera,

rear parking sensors, automatic

air, automatic headlights,

rain-sensing wipers, 7.0-inch

multimedia screen, Bluetooth

phone and audio streaming, AUX

ports, two USB ports, leather-

wrapped steering wheel, fog

lights, LED daytime running lights,

17-inch alloys, tyre-pressure

monitoring, full-size spare wheel

Warranty: Five years/unlimited

kilometres

Redbook future values: 3yr: 46%;

5yr: 30%

compare with ...

Honda CRV, Nissan XTrail, Skoda

Karoq, Subaru Forester, Toyota

RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan

Safety

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS