Europe’s compact and fully furnished 4WD is certainly making its mark in the softroader arena. We of course speak of France’s Renault Koleos – the first 4WD that the Renault company (and France) has dedicated assets to. The Koleos has been named in many reviews as the next challenge against Japan’s Toyota RAV4, the Subaru Forester and in line with Germany’s Volkswagen Tiguan. | Lowest price on new Renault Koleos…
Lets breakdown some of the features of the Koleos and compare it to its toughest rival on the Australian market.
As mentioned previously, the Renault Koleos is France’s first ever 4-wheel drive. It is described as a crossover since it was designed to be both a front-wheel drive and a four-wheel drive.
But, don’t assume that this car is purely French as there has been some help from Japan’s Nissan thanks to the 1999 alliance between Renault and Nissan.
The Koleos uses the same platform as the compact X-Trail, so you can see the similarities there. The 4WD is 4,520 mm long and 1,710 mm high, so it’s more or less the same height as the X-trail.
In terms of the design for the 4WD’s exterior, the Renault Koleos has a more rounded, half-car and half-sports utility vehicle look as compared to Nissan’s X-trail’s boxy yet classy look.
The interior design is considerably more conservative with a wavy design for the dashboard – a stylish touch some say. As you take a look at the Renault Koleos price (prior to ‘on road costs’), you may be surprised to see the Koleos offers a generous list of standard 4WD features in view of its rather high price point (compared to its Japanese rivals in the Nissan X-Trail and Toyota Rav). Some of these features include:
- Dual-zone climate control
- Fog lights
- Rain-sensitive windshield wipers
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- An electronic brake for parking
- A multi-functional built-in trip computer
Download full Renault Koleos Specifications courtesy of Renault Australia Website | Renault Koleos Microsite
