Let’s Talk About The Renault Koleos Dynamique 2.5 CVT

  Kelly Lodewyks

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Kelly Lodewyks recently played around with the new Renault Koleos. Here are her thoughts.

What is it?

The new Renault Koleos is the French manufacturer's premium SUV offering playing in same field as the Volkswagen Tiguan and Ford Kuga.

What's so special about it?

This new Koleos is perhaps one of Renault’s most advanced vehicles when it comes to tech and safety. The new Koleos completes the styling renaissance of the Renault range that began with Clio in 2012.

This large vehicle with its angled headlamps, bright chrome front-end embellishments, sinewy muscular lines and imposing stance certainly helps the Koleos stand out from the crowd. Personally, I think it looks more impressive than most of its competitors.

What drives it and how does it go?

Under the bonnet lies a 2.5 litre petrol engine mated with a CVT box. The engine pushes out 126kW at 6 000 r/min and 233Nm of torque at 4 000 r/min. Power delivery is smooth albeit slightly lethargic under hard acceleration.

While CVT ‘boxes have their haters, I can’t fault this one. I didn’t notice any groaning from the CVT transmission - which is the usual complaint. On the open roads, the Koleos was really pleasant to drive. The ride quality is smooth, and the steering has a nice weighted feel to it.

Climbing in...


This Renault feels so upmarket. The interior is awash with tech and feels quite sophisticated. There’s a digital instrument cluster, chrome accents and a portrait-oriented touchscreen. This is my favourite part. This slick system is equipped with sat-nav, audio functions such as radio (obviously) and Bluetooth. It can also mirror your smartphone thanks to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

This car made me lazy thanks to nice-to-haves such as hands-free entry and start, a reverse camera and parking sensors and electrically adjustable seats. The overall quality of the cabin feels good. I enjoyed the time that I spent behind the wheel of it. Perhaps my only issue is the fact that everything - aside from the aircon temperature - is controlled through the touch screen system. I miss buttons that take you through the audio modes or volume knobs and easily accessible controls for the aircon fan speed. Maybe I’m getting old?

So, its practical?

In every way, yes. Measuring in at 4.7 metres long, this is a big car, and it feels roomy too. For our family of five, it worked out perfectly. The boot space of 464 litres swallowed up all the luggage, school bags, shopping and bicycles that we threw at it. Ok, that last one was with the rear seatbacks folded forward. My little family leads a busy life and this Koleos fitted in perfectly. It's a great lifestyle vehicle for a family of five.

Anything else I need to know?

Safety - there is plenty of it. The Koleos has a 5-star Euro NCAP Safety rating and comes with six airbags, satellite sensors in order to detect lateral impact early, seat track position sensor that controls airbag deployment by seat track position ABS with EBD, cornering fog lights, blind spot warning and more.

It’s also good to know that owners can choose between a 4x2 or 4x4 version and two spec levels - Expression and Dynamique. No matter which one you choose, though, the Koleos comes really well equipped. And with a starting price of R399 900, it’s set to shake up the segment, giving the competition a strong opponent.

Renault Koleos 2.5 Dynamique Specs:

Price
R439,900.00
Engine 2.5l inline 4-cyl, NASP
Power 126kW
Torque 233Nm
Driven Wheels Front
Gearbox CVT
0-100kph 9.5 seconds
Top Speed 185kph
Average Fuel Consumption 8.1l/100km
CO2 Emissions 188g/km

Pricing:

Koleos Expression 2.5 CVT  4x2 R399,900.00
Koleos Dynamique 2.5 CVT 4x2 R439,900.00
Koleos Dynamique 2.5 CVT 4x4 R479,900.00

The New Renault Koleos comes standard with a 5-year/150 000km mechanical warranty, 5-year/90 000km service plan and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty.



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