Renault officially launched the Koleos facelift in India today at the 2014 Auto Expo. The Koleos crossover was first launched in 2011 in the premium SUV segment but has been a slow seller in the market. The facelift comes with cosmetic and mechanical upgrades as well as the launch of two new variants in the line-up. Renault has made a special gesture and delivered the first Koleos facelift to none other than Salman Khan. Renault says the SUV dawns all the attributes of being adventurous, sophisticated and guarantees heads to turn with its presence and performance much like the super star.
The major change on the Koleos is on the exteriors. The crossover receives the new company face with a chrome grille and a prominent Renault logo in front, chrome finished fog lamps, dual tone ORVM’s with integrated LED turn indicators, a new rear spoiler with stop light in the centre, new 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels and roof rails with silver finish on the outside.
Till now the Koleos was available only in the 4×4 AT trim, which was also the reason for the capable SUV’s dismal performance. Renault has introduced two new variants in the line-up the 4×2 MT and 4×4 MT. The 4×4 AT continues to be offered as the top of the line variant. The 4×2 MT will be the base variant and is available in a two-wheel drive setup, void of the electronic goodies on the inside. The base variant comes with an ordinary stereo system, while other safety features such as ESP, Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control and side and curtain airbags have also been omitted. Also making the difference more prominent are the single-tone alloy wheels and absence of scuff plates on the outside, whereas the cabin is debarred of leather seats and electrically adjustable front seats.
All these features are available on the 4×4 manual and automatic variants along with Smart card access, Start/Stop system, ABS, rear parking sensors, rain sensor, dusk sensor, and cruise control. The Koleos also gets dual zone AC for the driver and front seat passenger. You also get the exceptionally brilliant BOSE music system and steering mounted audio controls. You can also choose from four colour options for the paint namely while, red, black and silver, while the interior is available with an option of beige and black.
The power for the base 4×2 variant will come from the same 2.0-litre dci engine, tuned to produce 150 PS and 320 Nm of torque. The 4×4 variants on the other hand receives a power bump and is now available with 173 PS of power and 360 Nm of torque from the same 2.0-litre dci engine and receives a six-speed manual and automatic gearbox for the 4×4 and the 4×2 variants. The Koleos sprints from 0 – 100 km/hr in 11.5 seconds on the base variant, 9.9 seconds on the 4×4 manual variant and 11.9 seconds on the 4×4 automatic variant; whereas the claimed mileage on the 4×2 variant is 17.15 km/l, while the 4×4 MT and 4×4 AT return 16.26 km/l and 14.56 km/l respectively.
The Renault Koleos is a successful product internationally and is currently being sold in over 40 countries and the French car maker hopes to see the numbers rolling this time. The car is locally assembled in India at Renault-Nissan Oragadam factory near Chennai. With the Renault facelift, the prices for the new variants have also been announced. The 4×2 MT is priced at Rs. 22.33 lakhs, 4×4 MT at 25.14 lakhs and the 4×4 AT at 26.19 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). The crossover SUV will be competing against the segment leader Toyota Fortuner, Honda CR-V and the new Hyundai Santa Fe in the country.
