Renault Koleos 4X2 MT

Koleos 4X2 MT Review

Renault India, the fully owned subsidiary of the French auto major has pulled down the curtains over the facelifted version of its luxury SUV, Renault Koleos in the country. Now the company has introduced this luxury SUV in three trim levels unlike the outgoing version, which used to come in just one variant. Out of three variants, the Renault Koleos 4x2 MT is the entry level variant and it is blessed with the same 2.0-litre diesel engine under the hood. This engine hasn't received any changes to its technicalities. However, the manufacturer has made changes to its exteriors by redesigning the front radiator grille and bumper. Also, this particular trim received cosmetic updates in terms of interiors with premium fabric covered seats, which are manually adjustable. The space inside has also been improved, which will now improve the level of luxury inside. The manufacturer has introduced this facelifted version in four exterior paint options, which are White Pearl, Maple Red, Black Metallic and Ultra Silver finish option. With such exciting changes, this Renault Koleos SUV will certainly give sleepless nights to its competitors in the auto market.

Exteriors:

This refurbished Renault Koleos has undergone major cosmetic updates, especially in terms of exteriors. The company has refined the design of front radiator grille and bumper for bringing in more ruggedness to the vehicle. This radiator grille is fitted with three horizontal chrome plated strips along with the company logo in the center. Below this grille, the bumper comes with a nudge guard sort of design that brings an aggressive look to the frontage. In addition to this, the company has fitted a silver colored cladding under the bumper that minimizes the damages caused on uneven roads. The design of the headlight cluster remained to be unchanged and it comes incorporated with projector headlamps. On the sides, the company has fitted silver satin scuff plates along with body colored moldings to the doors, which guard the side profile from minor damages. The door handles have been garnished in chrome while the ORVM caps gets a body colored paint. The rear end of this SUV also received changes with a re-treated bumper that comes fitted with silver satin skid plates. Furthermore, the taillight cluster design gets a slight tweak that brings a refreshing new look to the vehicle.

Interiors:

Coming to the interior section, this new Renault Koleos 4x2 MT trim comes with an improved cabin with plush ambiance and pleasant color scheme. The manufacturer has fitted luxurious seats inside the cabin and covered them with premium black fabric upholstery. Both the driver and front co-passenger seat are manually adjustable and also have lumbar support. Its interior cabin comes with black color scheme and it is complimented by silver accentuation on the dashboard, central console and on the door panels. There is a three spoke multi functional steering wheel, which has mounted audio and call control buttons. The dashboard has a decent design and it has been equipped with a number of advanced equipments including the AC unit with heater , well lit instrument cluster, music system and other such aspects. Apart from these, this particular entry level trim is also equipped with several of utility features such as driver sun glass case, storage unit, cup and bottle holders and other aspects.

Engine and Performance:

This particular entry level variant in its series is powered by the same old 2.0-litre, four cylinder based engine that hasn't received any updates to its technicalities. This dCi diesel power plant makes a total displacement capacity of 1995cc and it is integrated with a turbo charging unit. This will enable it to produce 148bhp of power at 4000rpm, while generating a peak torque output of 320Nm at 2000rpm . This engine is skillfully coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission gearbox that distributes the torque to the front wheels and draws superior performance. The manufacturer claims that the vehicle can return 17.15 Kmpl, when driven under standard conditions, which is rather satisfying. On the other hand, it takes only about 11.5 seconds for the vehicle to reach 100 Kmph mark from a standstill, which is remarkable.

Braking and Handling:

The company has assembled all the four wheels with a set of high performance ventilated disc brakes for efficient braking. In a bid to enhance this disc braking mechanism, the company installed the anti lock braking system along with electronic brake force distribution system , which will never let the vehicle to loose its stability. On the other hand, the company also incorporated some of the advanced functions like electronic stabilization program, hill-descent control and hill-ascent control, which will help driver to gain full control over the vehicle. On the other hand, its tilt adjustable power steering system comes with speed related function, which will reinforce the handling aspects by providing instantaneous response and crisp steering feel irrespective of speed levels.

Comfort Features:

The Renault Koleos 4x2 MT trim is the entry level variant in its series, but still it comes with many advanced equipments. The company has installed a dual zone automatic air conditioning system inside the cabin with rear AC vents , which will keep the cabin cool. The list of features includes driver and front passenger seat adjuster, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, rear glass electric defroster, soft touch driver controls, easy rear access, height adjustable driver and passenger seat belts and so on. This particular trim also comes with a smart access card, engine start/stop button, dusk and rain sensor, rear parking sensor, cruise control function, on-board trip computer and other advanced features.

Safety Features:

The company has never compromised on the safety aspects of any of its vehicle models. Now the refurbished Renault Koleos comes with superior safety functions that ensures maximized protection to the occupants. This entry level trim comes with some of the protective features including ABS with EBD, driver and passenger airbags , reinforced front and rear impact resistant body, child safety rear lock, front powered anti-pinch function, speed sensing door lock and automatic emergency unlock. All these safety features will provide unparalleled protection for the vehicle and to the occupants inside. 

Pros : Improved exterior design, plush interiors.

Cons : Initial cost of ownership high, fuel efficiency can be made better.