RENAULT KOLEOS 2.5 DYNAMIQUE 4WD /
Playing it safe
FFirstly, the looks: Renault played it quite safe with this one since, even with the 18” wheels, it never struck me as a particularly gorgeous vehicle. The overall silhouette of the car looks generic and from some angles, I vaguely got a hint of X-trail. One area I admittedly fell in love with was the design of the lights. The front sports some funky DRLs that swoops downward, flanking the chrome grille whilst the rear lights almost form a continuous light bar as seen on the likes of recent Porsche vehicles. When lit up, the lights are a visually spectacular affair giving the Kadjar a strong presence on the road.
AND THE INTERIOR?
The interior is a similar affair to that of the SUV’s exterior. Again, this is not a bad thing. It carries an ergonomic atmosphere with generous use of leather and soft-touch materials. This means that every area you would normally touch in a car feels well-built and of a high quality. The dashboard is dominated by a vertically-mounted 8.7” infotainment screen which comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.
It’s also quite a spacious cabin with ample room for five. In my case, though, with a family of six, it proved to be on the side of tight.
With its 464-litres worth of boot space and the ability to increase it to a gargantuan 1,795 litres thanks to the 60:40 split rear seats, you definitely won’t be short in that department. Access to the boot is also made easier with the comfort access feature that opens up the boot if you flick your foot underneath the boot area. It’s a handy feature…
when it works. It takes a fair amount of guts to attempt this when there are spectators because more often than not, you are left kicking around with no effect.
DRIVETRAIN AND PERFORMANCE
Well, unfortunately, I only got the Koleos as the nation was thrust into lockdown because of the plague. This meant that I did not have as many chances of driving the car as I would normally do. Still, I did have the odd trips to the shops and around the neighbourhood which helped me form somewhat of an impression on how the car drives.
It definitely has the right SUV stuff with an elevated seating position giving you a commanding view of the road ahead. Visibility was decent during my daily use due to the relatively large greenhouse windows all around the vehicle, aided by the blind spot monitoring assist which is standard on the Koleos.
Powering the vehicle is a 2.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol unit that’s good for 126 kW and 233 Nm. Renault decided to go for a more right-wing approach, choosing a big displacement naturally-aspirated engine over turbocharging that has fast become the norm these days. The transmission of choice is a CVT gearbox which I will get back to shortly. Overall performance from this pairing is quite average in this segment of vehicles and makes for a good daily driver. The drivetrain is more than capable when it comes to moving that near-two tonne body from standstill although the power is delivered in a rather lethargic manner.
The suspension was well dampened and compliant, gliding over patches of road I have found bumpy in other smaller vehicles. The Koleos also comes with an optional 4WD system which is a trump card against most of its rivals. Couple that with the 220 mm of ground clearance and you have a potential off-road machine parked in your driveway. Even if you are a city person and may never be able to explore that potential off-roading capability, you can rest assured that when the rainy season comes, that all-wheel-drive traction will be actively protecting you and the family.
Now coming back to that CVT transmission, it works remarkably well in the city with its smooth and continuous delivery of power to the wheels. However, I have heard complaints from colleagues about how it still gets drony when you engage cruise control on the highway as the transmission often keeps the revs at a high rev point. I am yet to have a personal feel of this myself once movement isn’t restricted.
LAST WORD
The Koleos is undoubtedly a good deal in this segment. At around R529,900, it’s competitively priced whilst offering a well-equipped vehicle that would serve the needs of any family. Some may not be excited by the looks of the SUV but I cannot deny that when it comes to daily practicality and overall value for money, you cannot go wrong with the Koleos.