Renault Koleos automatic facelift review, test drive

The automatic avatar of Renault's premium SUV drives quite differently from the manual. Here's our first impression.

Published on Apr 07, 2014 05:34:00 PM

59,208 Views

Renault Koleos automatic facelift review, test drive

Renault Koleos facelift.

Since there’s no third row, you also get 450 litres of boot space with the seats up. As before, the Koleos is generously equipped in 4x4 guises, including the nice sounding Bose sound system. You do, however, lose quite a bit of this kit if you opt for the new 4x2 version.

So, how does it tackle our roads? Where the Koleos truly impresses is the way it glides over road undulations. The Renault’s ride is very absorbent and makes easy work of broken tarmac, irrespective of its speed. The suspension also keeps thuds in check and only very large potholes manage to ruffle the Koleos’ composure. The overall stability at speed is impressive, and the accurate steering wheel drills confidence in the driver. For an SUV, the body roll is well controlled too.

So is it worth it? With a starting price of Rs 21.29 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the manual 4X2 variant and Rs 24.97 lakh for the 4X4 automatic, the Koleos comes uncomfortably close to the Audi Q3 and BMW X1 in terms of pricing. While the top-spec Koleos is well equipped and quite capable on the highways, the Koleos’s lack of bottom-end grunt (especially with an auto 'box) means it doesn’t shine in an urban environment and customers may prefer the badge-value of an entry-level German SUV over the French brand.