DURING a ceremony held at the Meydan hotel in Dubai, new Renault Koleos has been awarded Best Compact SUV of the year 2016.
Organized by Arab Wheels, the Middle East’s #1 English automotive magazine, ArabWheels Awards is an annual award intended to recognize and acknowledge the latest and greatest of the automotive world.
Speaking about Renault’s award, Editor in Chief, Issam Eid, said: “I personally loved the all-new Koleos since its first drive back in Paris this summer. Renault has overcome many obstacles to make the best, most significant 4x4 on the market. The Koleos does everything well and most things remarkably; it’s a great all-round vehicle at an authentic, value-for-money price. Koleos beats off firm opposition from its current rivals and picks up the “Compact SUV” ArabWheels Award!”
Sofiane Merrad, Sales Director at Renault Middle East, was pleased to take to the stage and collect the trophy. Speaking at the event, he said: “We are honored to receive such recognition from a prominent motoring media along with customers from the Region. New Renault Koleos is the perfect flagship of Renault’s new brand identity. The SUV has already made promising debuts within the whole GCC.”
While there’s little familial resemblance at first glance, the new Koleos has close ties to its Japanese cousin in the Nissan X-Trail. It has the same engine, transmission and core underpinnings as the Nissan, though the Renault’s slightly larger dimensions, suave styling and classier cabin give it an advantage over the X-Trail.
Renault offers the Koleos in three trim levels. The entry-level Koleos Life costs $29,990 plus on-road costs, which includes 17-inch wheels, a 7-inch touchscreen, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, cloth trim, dual-zone climate control and a a CVT automatic transmission that drives the front wheels as standard kit.
The mid-range Koleos Zen adds faux leather trim, heated front seats with electric driver’s seat adjustment, an electronic parking brake, smart keys, sat nav, 18-inch wheels and more for $33,990.
Renault also offers the Zen in all-wheel-drive form for a further $2500, while a sunroof costs an extra $1990 and a safety pack with autonomous emergency braking, blind spot warning and forward collision warning systems cost $1490 with either drive layout.
Available only in all-wheel-drive form, the top end Koleos Intens includes all of the above plus LED headlights, a self-parking system, powered tailgate, two-tone 18-inch alloys, leather trim with ventilated front seats and other tinsel such as exterior chrome trim for $43,490 plus on-road costs.
The big selling point for the Intens is its cabin, which echoes prestige SUVs such as the Volvo XC90 and Tesla Model X for a fraction of the cost. An oversized, portrait-orientated 8.7-inch touchscreen sits at the core of Renault’s new flagship, which also includes a 12-speaker Bose surround sound system and USB points in the front and rear. That’s sharp value for the money.
Renault’s new R-Link 2 touchscreen offers impressive functionality - you swipe, pinch and tap through key functions just like a smartphone, and you can tailor its layout to suit personal preferences. Passengers can customize everything from the color and strength of LED ambient lighting to the volume of its turn signals. The tablet also controls the car’s heating, ventilation, navigation and infotainment controls, though it’s disappointing to see that smartphone MirrorLink, AppleCarplay or Android Auto connections are not available in the Koleos.
That’s particularly puzzling as this SUV is built in tech-obsessed South Korea, where the Koleos is sold as a Samsung product.
It also lacks the active cruise control, high-speed self-braking and Diesel engine options offered by top-end rivals including Volkswagen’s upcoming Tiguan SUV.
In any case, the Koleos Intens is a comfortable place to be with impressive cabin presentation, solid practicality and more then enough room for large adults in the front and back seats, even if it doesn’t offer the X-Trail’s seven-seat option.
The Renault group has been making cars since 1898. — SG
