India-bound Renault Koleos spy pics

We’ve got our hands on the first ever spy pictures of the India-bound Renault Koleos SUV. Our reader Charls Raj spotted the Koleos being tested with badges covered in Chennai.

As evident from the pictures, this is the facelifted car with a redesigned front end, making the new Koleos feel much more modern.  We drove the Koleos in Europe last year and found it a capable and luxurious crossover. The Koleos is powered by a 2-litre, 150bhp all-aluminum common-rail diesel engine with variable valve timing. This is the same M9R unit that powers the X-Trail, coupled with a six-speed manual transmission. This diesel motor, like in the X-trail, is quite rev-happy with lots of punch once you cross 2000rpm.

The interior fit and finish is not upto German standards, but there’s a solidity to the interiors that is a cut above its Korean peers. The plastics are hardwearing, the switchgear feels solid and the vents don’t flap around. The trim feels tightly screwed down and hence rattles are unlikely to creep in, which bodes well for extended use.

Renault will launch the Koleos later this year; prices are expected to be in the range of Rs 16-18 lakh.