Driving Renault’s medium-sized Koleos SUV  – French in flavour but with Renault and Nissan these days joined at the hip sharing its mechanical underpinnings with Nissan’s X-Trail and then to further confuse, built in Korea for this market.  I’ve always liked the Renault Koleos now sold in three petrol front drive models and one all wheel drive, the diesel model no longer available – upgraded late last year with some new style elements inside and out – a five-seat SUV sitting in the highly competitive medium segment. I drove the top-spec Koleos Intens 4 x 4 currently 45,490 drive-away with $1,000 cash back and a 7 year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

A long wheelbase provides one of the roomiest cabins in its class, the interior the Koleos’s trump card, typically French, practical, roomy with great leather seats, dash and instrumentation. The highlight, a central portrait style 8.7–inch colour screen with Satellite Navigation and Bose premium sound system. Style wise better looking than Nissan’s X-trail but utilising that models 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and CVT continuously variable automatic – it’s no fire-breather and fully loaded lacks a little punch, at times lacking low down torque. Good economy though and I averaged 9.0 L/100km. Drive selectivity provides front drive only, auto 4WD or a lock 4WD mode for really heavy going but I doubt if many Koleos owners will ever venture off road.

I’m David Berthon

2020 Renault Koleos Intens Red Shoot

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