Renault Koleos

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Driving Renault's answer to the Mazda CX-5.

My wife and I were looking for a new vehicle, and old given we are transporting grandchildren around now its time for something a bit bigger.

So, before i start off this review i will admit this is a courtesy car while my car is in for repairs - we have put about 800km on it with mix use driving. I was pretty excited to get handed the keys of a practically brand new car, so after signing the forms and saying bye to my car for a little bit, i jumped into the 2020 Koleos, My first impressions were pretty good, the dash looks smart, the steering wheel felt nice, the seats comfortable and the doors made a nice thunk when they closed. After pushing the STOP/START button it was time to set up the infotainment/gps... this is where some problems came up. Firstly i had forgot my cable so i couldn't plug in to use android auto..oops. Anyway, so i started pressing buttons on the screen to find it slightly confusing, after attempting to connect Bluetooth a few times i gave up. Alright, NOVA FM it is, GPS time! Well, not really, after getting constant "can not set a way point from current destination" messages i choose to set the start point manually which also failed. Bummer, guess ill just use google maps on my phone (not connected to Bluetooth since that failed). Off i set, driving the Koleos is pretty no thrills, it drives how you expect it too, not that it's a bad thing. It was comfortable and relaxing. My drive home consists of 2 major 80kph roads then inner Melbourne city streets. The Koleos dealt with bumps nicely. All was good, until i came to my first round-a-bout which has pedestrian crossings across all 4 directions, pulling up i look to my left to by greeted to a huge mirror and a pillar, i come to a complete stop to peer over them making sure its clear, this became a constant struggle at round-a-bouts and junctions. Oh well, home now. Day 2 : This was the day i found the most problems which where frustrating. On start up the engine made this weird rattle sound - which it has ever since, Renault said its normal for it to do so. Oh well, time for a decent drive, in i hop, plug in android auto, which takes about 1000 attempts but it finally works and stops glitching out, away we go, listening to my own music i turn the it up a bit to find the sound system actually pretty decent, i then come to a stop, its cold, i look to the climate control and turn it on, no numbers show up, the knob keeps turning so its not a manual/retro unit? i pull over to figure out whats going on. It turns out the climate control temp. is displayed on the infotainment unit which when android auto is on it takes up the whole display, making the climate temp disappear... Who at Renault thought this was a good idea? was there no testing? how does something like this slip through? baffled, i set my temp and turn android auto back on (after 4 attempts). continuing my journey i hit the freeway, ARRGGGHHH whines the CVT getting up too 100kph, i was surprised on how loud it was, after getting too 100kph the Koleos settled nicely, engine was quiet, seats nice and after finding the cruise control located next to the electric parking brake all was good, until i realised that the noise coming from the tyres and wind was very loud to the point i double checked all the windows were up. This was a disappointment and drove me insane for the few hours. the next couple of weeks where all pretty much the same, same problems, same annoyances, although this car is pretty well spec'd for the money i found the issues out weighing the nice features. - a surprise though was i am averaging 8L/100km which i thought was good for majority city driving. Improvement wise this car really needs better sound insulation, a whole new infotainment unit - one that is easier to use, doesn't look like a 6 year old designed it and the climate control temp displayed on the dash and not on the infotainment and a revised front parking sensor system as it goes off when sitting in traffic randomly. Other than the engine rattle on start and the sometimes hard to get into gear transmission - as well as the glitchy infotainment the car has been pretty solid. Would i buy one with real money and not just the $2000 excess if i crash it? No. It is a stylish, well spec'd mid sized suv, but it isn't really that good at anything and there is much better options.

When you think medium SUV, you tend to think of those big sellers. RAV4, Tucson, CX5, even Escape and Tiguan. But then you’ve got one that’s a little different, enter the Renault Koleos, Zen 4x2. A whole size bigger than its predecessor, and almost as big as a Hyundai SantaFe, though only with 5 seats - big, comfy seats at that. With one of the largest grilles on a Renault, that fancy diamond badge front and centre, it’s hard to mistake it for another brand of vehicle. The DRLs look like something from Tron Legacy (that sci fi film based on a video game), and the LED tail lights have that signature Renault look about them. I chose the Black on Black look for my mid spec Zen 4x2 model. Featuring lashes of chrome exterior trims and rear privacy glass covering all windows from the B-Pillar back, this could be mistaken for something a little more upmarket. The standard 18” wheels give the Koleos a solid stance and provide a smooth drive on all types of roads, there’s also a 17” spare wheel under the boot floor! No goo kit here! The rear end does miss out on the convenient split tailgate from the previous gen model, offering a standard lift tailgate seen on most SUVs Under the bonnet we have the 2.5 4 cylinder unit from the Renault-Nissan alliance, shared with its Nissan X-Trail cousin. There’s enough oomph to get you from standstill to cruising speed without too much effort - though the more powerful 2.0lt Diesel can be had for another $10k, but you’ll need to upgrade to the Intense spec to get the oil burner. That said, with a 9.5 l/100km ADR, I do manage 9.3 l/100km on a good mix of highway and suburban driving, this is based on the standard 91 Ron fuel. Service intervals are great too, only needed every 30,000km or once every 12 months. It makes you wonder why Nissan asks for 15,000km or every 12 months on their X-Trail, which has effectively the same driveline and engine?! On the inside, big, soft, leather covered and heated seats, make for comfortable driving. There’s more lashings of chrome trims and the touch-sensitive controls are intuitive and easy to use. Sitting atop the centre dash is a 7.0 inch touchscreen with Renault’s signature R-Link multimedia system, with handy Apple Carplay and standard Sat Nav built in. I find the system easy to use and responsive, on most occasions. However there are too many sub-menus to be using on the go, so best make adjustments when you’re at a standstill. Standard niceties like, an auto electric park brake, easy use steering wheel controls, and the digital dash make for ease of use. The digital TFT instruments in lieu of an analogue display, are funky and easy to read. There are several options to personalise your dash to your liking, like 5 colours and 5 designs for your speedo and tacho. The leather clad steering wheel does have a flat bottomed sporty look, and is comfy and great to hold in hand, although it could use more height and reach adjustment. I’m not even 6 foot tall and the steering wheel is set to the highest setting and is only about one inch above my legs. I do however have the drivers seat at the highest setting as to see over the dash to the front of the vehicle. That said you wouldn’t want to be any taller than 6 foot, to find that comfortable driving position. Overall my Koleos has been a great choice for me and my lifestyle. It suits my bachelor lifestyle, weekends away with my mates, or even moving that odd piece of furniture from here to there. There’s plenty of space for families too, easily accomodating 5 adults or even mum and dad with young ones in tow. There’s always those little things that we pick at with any car we buy, fuel consumption, lacking features or the sound system, but overall I’m more than happy with my purchase. For someone who has owned 10 cars in 10 years, this has to be one of the best I’ve owned, and I would recommend anyone I know to drive and consider a Koleos for their next car.

I have owned two previous Koleos. I picked up my new Intens two weeks ago, which seems to be light years ahead of the old model in terms of space, finish and technology. I looked at the Hyundai Santa Fe and Tuscon, the Kia Sportage, Isuzu, VW Tiguan and Toyota RAV. Nothing came close in terms of the features for the price. So far along with normal city driving, I've done a 5 hour run on the freeway and an hour or so on the gravel and dirt leading to my parent's farm. Its a delight to drive, light to steer with a tight turning circle, and confident on the gravel/dirt. I'm still getting my head around all the tech - controlled by a large main screen which seems way ahead of anything else in its price range. The full scope of the technology is amazing - lane departure warning, blind spot warning, emergency braking, park assist, auto adjust rear view mirror - the list goes on and on. And then there's the fun stuff like choosing the ambient lighting colour or the design of the dash instruments. 30,000km, once a year fixed price servicing, with a 5 year warranty and 5 year road side assist is a big bonus. The only negatives I've encountered so far is the cruise control tends to over rev trying to keep a speed going up a hill - almost pushing the revs into the red. Then it struggles to hold the speed back. So not sure if that is an actual fault or a fault in design. And Apple CarPlay would have been nice.... The sensor for waving your foot under the bumper to remotely open the boot is very hit and miss - so much so I've given up on it. I just push the button on the remote or the boot to have it power open. But overall - loving it and its a lot of car for the money.