TC Euro Cars (TCEC), who are the authorised distributors of Renault cars in Malaysia have launched the all-new Renault Koleos SUV. This is Renault's new flagship SUV and it looks pretty good in the flesh...or metal to be exact.
Today, TCEC & Renault previewed the Koleos to members of the media as well as to its loyal customers. The car is expected to be seen in Renault showrooms by mid-October 2016 and prior to this, members of the public can have a look at it at the Mid Valley Mega Mall, Center Court from the 7th to the 11th of September 2016. The car will be sold at an introductory price of RM172,800 and RM116,800 in Langkawi (on-the-road inclusive of GST, without insurance and for private registration).
The Koleos that is brought in is powered by a Renault-Nissan Alliance 2.5liter engine which powers the front wheels (fwd) via a X-Tronic CVT gearbox. Isn't this a good thing? It has that Japanese reliability in a European car. Now the Front Wheel Drive is more than enough for this sort of SUV. You and I know that this type of SUV is to be used in a more urban environment and the need for such a drivetrain is not really necessary. No one would buy such a classy looking SUV for off roading actually. This is the best spec for the road in terms of fuel efficiency and practicality. So it makes perfect sense keeping it fwd. Prices are also kept competitive because of this too.
When I sat in it I think Renault has improved the materials used for the interior and the equipment as well as instrumentation has been improved. It looks upmarket too, especially the nice large 8.7inch portrait touchscreen infotainment unit mounted in the middle. There seems to be a lot of features in the SUV (both in safety features as well as driver aids). Space is also good for something that supposedly sits in the C segment SUV category. Inside it feels much larger than most in the segment (think Honda CRV, Nissan XTrail, Audi Q5 etc). From the specification sheet, it could be largest in class. More of a C+ segment vehicle.
Boot space is pretty good because of this - 550liters with a removable floor (flat floor because of it). It you fold down the rear seats (it is a 5 seater) you get a total luggage carrying volume of 1,690liters. There is also 35 liters of other sorts of storage space from cubby holes to the glovebox. The glovebox is 11liters in size and the cubby hole in the middle (which is connected to the air conditioning and can cool your drinks) is 7 liters in size).
The overall exterior styling is very European and in some ways Germanic. A good thing because the market leaders in luxury SUVs come from that country. This isn't in the luxury premium category, but it is quite close by the looks of it. A large strong grille, rounded edges to what is a strong boxy styling and a lot of presence. Of course, being French, it does have a bit of French styling quirks when you slowly move your eyes from one end of the Koleos to the other.
Note the chrome character bit and faux air vents which sits in the front door instead of usually (as in other cars) in the front fender. It is definitely different. Well, the Koleos IS French. They like things done slightly differently. But I do feel that this Koleos is much more pleasing on my eyes than the previous one. Which somehow felt slightly utilitarian and a little more suitable for going to the market in a small French village instead of being able to visit the Louvre with the passengers dressed up for a black tie event. So I do like the Koleos' styling a lot more this time around.
More information on the Koleos can be read here where we put up a detailed article on the specification of the car.
No comments:
Post a Comment