Renault Koleos

Renault’s Koleos is likely the most underrated SUV on the market. You probably didn’t even know about it, which proves my point.

Koleos has been around since about

2000. It’s grown up too, at one point being comparable in size to a Nissan Qashqai, but now it’s closer to the Nissan X-trail, which shares the Koleos wheelbase.

There is an extensive range of Koleoses (Kolii?) available, starting with the Zen and Zen Sport, with a plethora of Intens versions following.

All models of Koleos are powered by an across-the-petrol-range 2.5 litre. A two-litre turbodiesel option is also available, and all run an X-tronic continuously variable transmission.

This is an Intens petrol model above which is the Intens Sport petrol, the Intens diesel and the surprisingly named Intens Sport diesel.

Any Koleos with the word ‘Sport” in it is likely to have massive wheels – 20 to 22-inch – which, while being aesthetically badass, do little for the ride quality.

In our experience, we have seen numerous manufacturers put oversized wheels on vehicles to make a marketing point. For our money though, 18 inches should be good enough for just about anything.

If you want to experience the best ride the French SUV has to offer, stay with the 17s or 18 inch wheel and tyre combos of the standard variants like the entry level Intens, as these really do demonstrate a very supple suspension without being wallowy.

“Entry level” is perhaps not the right phrase. The Intens specification level is extremely high with features like the panoramic electric sunroof, heated and cooled faux leather front seats, cooled front cupholders, a 12 speaker Bose audio system and the piece de resistance – an 8.7-inch capacitive touchscreen – aligned portrait style – which serves as the occupant/vehicle interface.

This last is the hero feature of the Koleos and offers a point of in-cabin sophistication while it provides a screen for the navigation system and reversing camera, digital control for the air conditioning system, Bluetooth and audio streaming functionality and more besides.

Physically, the screen resembles an i-pad, which means most will be familiar with its operation. We found it not as intuitive as some systems, requiring more consideration than could be expected for operating an air conditioning system, for example.

Someone who owns or leases a Koleos and drives one every day will likely find familiarity bringing a greater ease of operation.

Clearly, the focus is on front seat occupants with the Koleos. With SUVS however, the rear cabin is a significant consideration, as is boot-space and in both cases, the French could have done better.

Given all the space up front, there’s probably room to crib some space for the rear seat passengers who otherwise get really comfortable seats and excellent access and egress through the rear doors.

As to the boot, well, it has space for what you need, but on paper, the Koleos runs a little light against its competitors. Clever packing would be the order of the day for extended trips.

Koleos has certainly helped Renault get back on its feet after a significant hiatus and given the competitive sector the French SUV has found itself in, the road up was never going to be easy.

Despite this, Koleos has gained ground and looks set to become a mainstay in our market.