The upgraded Renault Koleos has been launched in India immediately after its global launch in China.
We get behind the wheel of this new French offering to see how well it fits into the burgeoning SUV segment
Story: Sarmad Kadiri
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
RENAULT MAY HAVE made a late entry into India, but the company seems to have a good understanding of the country’s demands. The premium SUV segment in India is witnessing over cent per cent growth and Renault are aiming to cash in on this, further boosting their brand image. They launched the upgraded SUV, Koleos, in the national capital immediately after its global launch in China, underlining the importance of the Indian market for the French car-makers. We drove the Koleos for over 400 km, starting from the buzzing city of Bangalore to Kabini, deep in the jungles of Karnataka, and back to test the SUV’s on- and off-road behaviour.
After its launch in 2008 the Koleos has been given a facelift this year. Like the Fluence sedan, this SUV sports signature Renault styling. Its smoky, twin barrel headlamps resemble the ones on the Fluence. The large chrome grille has three crisp strips with the company’s badge proudly on display in the middle. Details like the LED on the outer rear-view mirrors look nice. The Koleos is well balanced in terms of size and proportion, without being overly tall, long or over-imposing. Its high shoulder-line and 17-inch wheels make it look robust and masculine, though the matte-silver-and-black alloy wheels look gaudy and don’t sync well with the rest of the SUV. The rear styling is more tastefully done, given the way layers overlap and merge, making it a unique design on Indian roads.
There is just one variant available in India, which is the top-of-the-line. And intentionally so, for Renault want to compete with the elite in this segment. It comes loaded with features such as an automatic four wheel drive, six airbags, cruise control, rain and light sensors and, most importantly, a brilliant eight-speaker Bose entertainment system. However, the Bose branding on the exterior is an overkill. Emphasising after-sales service, the company is offering a two+two year, 80,000 km warranty. It aims to have 40 dealerships across India this year and close to 100 by the end of 2012.
The interior quality is good as all the buttons and dials have a solid feel and are good to use. However, the vast, blank surface of the dashboard could have been made more interesting by smart use of different textures of plastic or by making it multi-layered. The seats are wide and offer good support. The rear seats recline to make travelling more comfortable and there is adequate leg-room for all passengers. Renault have designed this SUV smartly to carve out 71 litres of storage space in the cabin, apart from the 450 litres of boot space. You can also fold the rear seats to further increases storage space. The split tail-gate makes access to the boot easier while loading or unloading.
This SUV is equipped with a refined 2.0-litre turbo-charged diesel engine that can churn out 150 PS and 320 Nm and is mated with a six-speed automatic gearbox. It remains smooth and placid even at high revs with just a faint diesel clatter from under the hood. There is an evident lag, but once the turbo spins in, it gets into momentum and offers decent mid-range. From there on the Koleos’ linear power makes driving a pleasant experience in the city. However, it lacks the grunt most turbo-diesels have. The six-speed auto ‘box is not really lightning fast, though shifting to the manual mode does improve driveability considerably.
Reaching the heart of Kabini meant tackling some really bad patches of road and this is where the Koleos showed its mettle. The SUV, very well sprung, managed to absorb most road irregularities without losing composure. It is firm, but not harsh and has great road behaviour, which boosts the driver’s confidence. There is some amount of body-roll, as may be expected from a tall SUV, but the well tuned suspension keeps it planted even through fast corners. The electrically assisted steering adds to the comfort and offers decent feedback, adding to the overall driving pleasure. The best aspect was that in spite of being a muscular SUV, the Koleos drove like a sedan and covered the 400-odd kilometres without fatigue creeping in.
In a nutshell, the Koleos is an SUV well put together, is stylish, robust, rich in features and comes with the convenience of automatic transmission. However, at Rs 22.5 lakh (ex-showroom) it is on the steeper side. Maybe its off-roading abilities will help it overcome even this obstacle.
