As far as SUVs go, the general word on the street is that they are big, burly, muscular and rule the road. Most of the people in India buy SUVs for that very reason. If you don't believe me, see how the Mahindra cars have fared over the years. On the other end of the spectrum are the premium breed of SUV's and these, too, look as masculine as any other. When the Koleos first came to India, it looked different, atleast when compared to its competition.
The French car maker hoped that the 'different' styling the Koleos would appeal to the Indian customer. However good looking the car was, it still didn't find a place in the hearts of the people here. So now, Renault is back with a facelift and this time around they want to grab the attention of the people. Even Renault admits that the segment and the car isn't doing well, but the company says it'll keep at it till the market grows and accepts the product.
I'd driven the 4x4 manual earlier and with the same engine - it was quite fun to drive. Though there was turbo-lag, it was pleasing, especially on highway stretches. So I knew exactly what to expect from this automatic version because the rest of the kit remains the same.
We'd seen the new Koleos at the Delhi Auto Expo - it has gotten bolder with the big logo sitting on the front grille. The 4x4 automatic that I drove seemed like an ideal car to drive in city confines. The automatic gearbox gave it a high comfort and convenience score and the engine seemed to be in no real sense of urgency at lower rpms and that gave it a lazy-cruiser feel.
Once on the highway, however, you start to notice how completely different the conventional torque convertor auto-box is when compared to a manual transmission. The 2.0-litre diesel engine that the Koleos gets is capable of churning out 172bhp - 22 horses more than its predecessor - and 360Nm of torque. So, technically it has got more power but it simply does not get through at lower rpms via the autobox.
The problem is especially noticeable when you want to overtake on the highway. You plant your foot down and, after a lot of whizzing, you see the rpms building and as it crosses the 2200 mark, there is a surge of that 360Nm of torque which blasts you out of your socks. Renault says that a sprint from 0-100km/h takes 11.9 seconds but it takes time to move from the starting line.
This was evident when we drove it to Ooty through the 36 hairpin turns. The Koleos gasped for breath every single time, which is why I switched it to manual after which the power delivery was at will. But on the highway, this thing is a big mighty beast - metaphorically speaking, of course. Once in its power band, (over 2200rpm, as mentioned before) it jumps like a jack rabbit on steroids. It's quick and silent and you won't really know that you're driving a diesel car. We encountered some potholes too and you just don't care about them. In fact, you stop caring about anything on the road once this SUV is in the zone.
The cabin is silent and very well equipped too. As standard fitment in the 4x4 automatic, you get leather seats, six-way power adjustable driver's seat, dual zone automatic climate control, tilt and telescopic steering, dusk sensing headlights, rain sensing wipers, cruise control, a chilled glovebox and something that has been the USP of Renault for this car - a Bose music system. Hook your phone up via Bluetooth or USB or Aux-In and you are sorted for the entire journey.
So what does it cost? The Koleos is available in the 4x2 manual - Rs. 22.23 lakhs and Rs. 26.18 lakh for the 4x4 automatic variant and Rs. 25.13 lakh for the 4x4 manual. The pricing of the Koleos does come close to cars from German luxury car makers like Audi with the Q3 and BMW with the X1 and that is why anyone would have a dilemma about what to do in such a situation. Given a choice here, I would choose the Germans!
Specifications
Engine: 2.0-litre, diesel
Drivetrain: 4WD
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 170bhp@3750rpm
Torque: 360Nm@2000rpm
