Renault Koleos Review
Published: 5th January 2009
Renault Koleos
Tidy is also descriptive of the Renault Koleos' interior but not in a Spartan way. And it is certainly not boring - the fluid lines of the fascia see to that. The centre console is compact and uncomplicated. It is flanked by chrome trim that seems to extend through the dashboard and reappears to surround a 'floating' display screen in the middle of the upper fascia. The matching air-vent housings and dial surrounds in the instrument nacelle compliment the effect and brighten the darkness of the materials. The top trim also comes with a panoramic sunroof, which gives an airy feel to the cabin.
The layout of the centre console differs between the trim levels; the Dynamique, for example, comes with air-conditioning, a single CD/radio with an AUX port, while the Dynamique S has climate control. This is also present in the top-of-the-range Privilege along with a Bose sound system and satellite navigation with full colour, 3D mapping, Bluetooth and an RDS radio and 6CD player with MP3 playback. The sat-nav screen is also used to display topographical information including altitude and compass bearings as well as 4WD functions and comes with a neat control keypad between the front seats.
The Renault Koleos Privilege also includes heated leather-clad seats, while the others are cloth covered. In any case, they are chunky and firm but well contoured and comfortable, nonetheless. Everyone has plenty of room as they sit high but only the driver has a height-adjustable seat, which is one of the basic attributes at all levels, as are the rake- and reach-adjustable steering column and automatic parking brake.
Taking into account the recent VAT changes, prices range from £17,617.77 for the 2WD Dynamique dCi 150, to £24,175.20 for the Privilege dCi 175 4x4, which was the test car and worth every penny. Metallic paint is an extra £367.02 and as Alpine Blue is the only solid colour amongst four metallics, you can expect to add this on straightaway. A roof spoiler is available for the same price and the skid plates add an extra £181.06 but there are plenty of other optional extras including a DVD entertainment system for £973.83.
The Renault-Nissan alliance provides the diesel engines – actually there is a single 2.0 dCi unit with two outputs of 150PS and 175PS. The higher powered unit is available with the Privilege trim only and is mated to the 6-speed manual gearbox. The lower output unit powers the 4x2 and 4x4 vehicles and is available with a 6-speed auto-adaptive, automatic transmission.
Across the range, the top speed varies between 112- and 119mph and the 0-62mph times between 9.9- and 12.3 seconds. The engine in the test car is both the quickest of the mark and produces the highest top speed.
