Renault Koleos Review

Critic reviews

How does the Renault Koleos compare with its peers?

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Name	Product	Number of seats	Boot displacement	ANCAP rating	Price (from)	Finder Score
Mazda CX-5		5 seats	442L	5 stars	$27,890	83.25%		loading Fetching your data...
Toyota RAV4		5 seats	542L	5 stars	$42,260	82.75%		loading Fetching your data...
Hyundai Tucson Green Company		5 seats	488L	5 stars	$34,500	78.5%		loading Fetching your data...
Kia Sportage		5 seats	466L	5 stars	$30,490	77.25%		loading Fetching your data...
Nissan X-Trail		7 seats	565L	5 stars	$27,990	76.25%		loading Fetching your data...
Jeep Cherokee		5 seats	412L	5 stars	$37,950	74.8%		loading Fetching your data...
Honda CR-V		5 seats	522L	5 stars	$28,290	74.5%		loading Fetching your data...
Mitsubishi Outlander		7 seats	1,410L	5 stars	$28,750	73.75%		loading Fetching your data...
Renault Koleos		5 seats	458L	5 stars	$29,990	73.25%		loading Fetching your data...
Mitsubishi ASX		5 seats	393L	5 stars	$23,490	71%		loading Fetching your data...

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Renault Koleos Pricing

Prices for the Renault Koleos SUV start from $29,990 for the front-wheel drive Koleos Life, with a 2.5-litre petrol engine and automatic transmission. This base model has a 7-inch touchscreen and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Moving up through the range, the Zen trim adds a 7-inch touchscreen with sat-nav and multimedia. There's also all-round parking sensors and a rearward facing camera. The seats are trimmed in a faux, easy-clean leather and the rear seats drop by pressing one button.

Intens trim boosts the touchscreen to 8.7 inches in portrait orientation with BOSE® speakers. The leather seats receive heating and ventilation and there's a panoramic sunroof that opens. Renault fits a parking assistance system, advanced emergency braking safety assist and an electric opening boot lid.

S-Edition Koleos models receive 19-inch alloy wheels as well as leather seats with contrasting blue stitching. Parking assist is fitted as standard, along with 360-degree parking sensors. The boot opens hands-free and the seats are cooled as well as heated.

Intens 4x4 models have the same portrait touchscreen, full-grain leather seats, parking assistance, hands-free power tailgate and all-wheel drive.

Finally, the 2.0-litre diesel Intens offers increased torque over petrol models. Renault recommends the diesel Intens should retail for $47,990 drive-away.

Metallic paints are an optional extra cost of $880.

Prices shown are for NSW, postcode 2000.

Click on the model you're interested in to compare finance options.

Koleos Life

Koleos Zen

Koleos Intens

Koleos S Edition 4x2

The above prices are the manufacturer's recommended drive-away price (MRDP). These costs include 12 months' registration and compulsory third party (CTP) insurance. They also include dealer-delivery rates and government duties.

Engine and performance

Renault outfits the Koleos with either a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre petrol engine or a 2.0-litre turbo diesel powerplant. The petrol engine delivers 126kW at 6,000 revs, with 226Nm of torque kicking in at 4,400 rpm. The slightly smaller capacity diesel generates 130kW at 3,750rpm and a grunty 380Nm of torque at only 2,000 rpm.

The Koleos range uses an X-Tronic CVT (continuous variable transmission), intended to give improved fuel economy, lower emissions, less noise and better acceleration. Rather than having gears, this system uses an adjustable conical pulley and belt set-up that can expand and contract as needed to alter the gear ratio. The result is a seamless changing of gears.

Car reviewers' thoughts on the Renault Koleos engine/gearbox line-up

Of all the reviews we referenced for this comparison, all had at least some comment to make about the CVT drivetrain. One reviewer described it as lethargic, needing encouragement. They went on to say that when accelerating heavily, the car makes a disproportionate amount of noise to the increasing speed. Another tester said it was depressingly mediocre. Still another said it was slow to react and would hunt for greats. Diesel-engined Koleos models evidently gather speed faster (thanks to the higher torque figures), but once again the motoring media said it was hampered by the fitment of a CVT automatic.

However, as a car aimed at the family market, you may find this isn't a problem.

Renault Koleos engine and transmission statistics

Fuel Efficiency

The official Renault fuel consumption figures for the Koleos are as follows:

Renault Koleos Life, Zen and Intens 4x2 models

• Combined: 8.1L/100km
• Urban: 10.4L/100km
• Extra urban: 6.7L/100km

The Renault Koleos Intens all-wheel drive model's official fuel figures are:

• Combined: 8.3L/100km
• Urban: 10.7L/100km
• Extra urban: 6.9L/100km

Finally, the 4x4 diesel Intens Koleos uses:

• Combined: 6.1L/100km
• Urban: 6.5L/100km
• Extra urban: 5.9L/100km

If you do a lot of driving in general, the diesel Koleos offers the best fuel efficiency. However, unusually for a model range, the petrol-equipped Koleos have a higher towing capability.

As always, the brochure fuel usage figures are calculated according to Australian Design Rule 81/02 – Fuel Consumption and Labelling. This test is mandated and doesn't change conditions, unlike in the real world. Once you take a vehicle on public roads, your usage will vary somewhat.

For example, you may sit with the engine idling for a large percentage of time while stuck in heavy traffic, you could live in an area with large hills and the amount of weight you're carrying will fluctuate. All these real-world factors impact on fuel usage. As a result, you should take the official fuel consumption numbers as a guide for comparison only.

Car reviewers achieved 11.3L/100km combined with a front-wheel drive Koleos Life. Others managed 8.3L/100km or only 0.2L from the official numbers.

Handling

Around town, the Koleos is apparently quite compliant. It has great forward vision, plus responsive and light steering. One tester said its handling is quite refreshing and well suited to family buyers. It's certainly not a sporty Renault Megane, but then again, this car is targeting a different demographic.

One outlet mentioned that the 19-inch wheel and low-profile tyres mounted on the S-Edition gave quite a harsh ride: if that's a problem, you could consider a Koleos with taller tyre sidewalls. A journalist did raise a concern that upon heavy acceleration, the Koleos suffered from torque steer. As a front-wheel drive family car, generally you wouldn't find that an issue. The best way to get a true understanding of how a car like this drives is to test one. Head down to your local dealer and give one a whirl.

Interior

According to the motoring media, the Koleos cabin is spacious, even to the point that three passengers can happily share the rear seats. The middle seat occupant might be a little snug, but that's quite normal across most mid-size vehicles. Some testers mentioned that the front seating could do with a larger knee roll for under-thigh comfort. Most enjoyed the clean, elegant European styling.

You'll find ample storage for drinks, belongings and miscellaneous oddments. One thing that might be a sticking point for buyers, unlike its sibling the X-Trail, is there's no third-row seating for carrying a sixth and seventh passenger.

The Koleos doesn't have a shortfall of accessories and features. Safety-wise, there are six airbags, ABS, AEB, reverse cameras, forward collision warning and lane departure alerts on all models. Cruise control is another useful addition.

Life models have a landscape 7-inch touchscreen with voice control, dual-zone climate control and neat little touches like chilled cup holders. Choosing Zen trim enables navigation, artificial leather trim, electric seat and lumbar adjustment plus heated front seats.

Intens line Koleos SUVs benefit from a portrait infotainment screen that measures 8.7 inches. As you progress to Intens, the 8-speaker Arkamys sound system is replaced by a 12-speaker and subwoofer set-up by BOSE®. Renault says this audio system delivers a concert-hall-like experience.

All models in the Renault Koleos range have Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

The boot has a storage capacity of 458 litres with the seats up. With the rear bench dropped down, there are 1,690 litres of storage space. By comparison, rivals like the RAV4 have 577 litres and the popular Mazda CX-5 has a smaller 442 litres.

Renault Koleos safety and driver assists

Here's a full list of Koleos safety features.

Renault Koleos interior features

Renault Koleos exterior styling features

Verdict

The Koleos has a unique appeal for families, with lots of space and storage. It's reasonably quiet, equipped with a battery of modern safety assists and does everything to a good standard. Plus, it offers distinct value for money.

Compare some options to finance a Renault Koleos

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OurMoneyMarket New Car Loan Fixed1 - 7 Years $2,001 - $75,000	Interest Rate (p.a.) 6.57% to 18.99%	Comp. Rate (p.a.) 7.19% to 21.78%	Application Fee $250 min.	Monthly Fee $0	Monthly Repayment $934.23	Go to siteMore Info Compare
Verified Lending Used Car Loan Fixed1 - 7 Years $10,000 - $200,000	Interest Rate (p.a.) 7.1% to 18.99%	Comp. Rate (p.a.) 8.06% to 22.99%	Application Fee $395	Monthly Fee $0	Monthly Repayment $939.9	Go to siteMore Info Compare
NRMA New Car Loan Fixed1 - 7 Years $5,000 - $130,000	Interest Rate (p.a.) 7.29% to 16.99%	Comp. Rate (p.a.) 8% to 17.77%	Application Fee $499	Monthly Fee $0	Monthly Repayment $945.77	Go to siteMore Info Compare	Note: Take out a loan for an eligible electric vehicle and receive a 1.5% discount on your personalised interest rate (interest rates start from 5.79% p.a. and comparison rates from 6.49% p.a.)
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NRMA Used Car Loan Fixed1 - 7 Years $5,000 - $130,000	Interest Rate (p.a.) 8.49% to 16.99%	Comp. Rate (p.a.) 9.21% to 17.77%	Application Fee $499	Monthly Fee $0	Monthly Repayment $962.64	Go to siteMore Info Compare	You'll receive a fixed rate from 8.49% p.a. Finance a used car with NRMA and benefit from a fixed rate term and no monthly fees. Pre-approval available within 5 business hours.
loans.com.au - Variable Rate Used Car < 5 years Variable3 - 7 Years $5,000 - $150,000	Interest Rate (p.a.) 7.74% to 7.74%	Comp. Rate (p.a.) 8.85% to 8.99%	Application Fee $400	Monthly Fee $8	Monthly Repayment $956.98	Go to siteMore Info Compare

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