It’s really fun asking other people, who aren’t into cars in a big way, for their impressions of the vehicles I drive. Take the hot new Renault Koleos 4x4.

Renault Koleos is big enough to carry a small horse

It’s so cool, said a male colleague. “The back’s big enough for a small horse or a big dog.”
 “And what I like,” added a female colleague admiringly, “is that it’s got great ground cover . . .”
Yes, well, ground cover, ground clearance . .. you all know what she meant.

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One of the nicest vehicles to emerge from Renault

Off-the-wall though their observations might be, they’re still pretty much spot-on. The Koleos is one of the nicest vehicles to emerge from the Renault showroom. Stylish, shapely, luxurious – and with proven offroad ability too.
Built in collaboration with offroad experts Nissan (you’ll spot traces of the Murano/Qashqai there, although they specifically mention X-Trail DNA), it’s the definitive Sports Utility Vehicle.

The Renault Koleos is the definitive Sports Utility Vehicle

The Koleos comes in two options, all-wheel-drive and front wheel drive, with the 4x4 available in diesel as well as petrol.
My vehicle was the six-speed turbodiesel model, and I was very impressed with its performance. Astonishingly torquey, the 127kW engine delivers a fine ride, with a softish suspension perfectly suited to me.

Features include heated seats

Must mention that the day it was delivered, and stuck in the peak hour traffic, I became increasingly aware my seat was hotter than the 35 degree weather should have warranted, considering I had the super-efficient aircon blowing back my hair. Was the seat heater on? Was there even a seat heater? While negotiating the traffic I felt under and alongside the seat, looking for a button: I looked on the dash, I looked under it and to the side of it . . . no joy. The next day, went to pick up a colleague and got out to move the front seat forward for her. There it was, a tiny button under the seat clearly showing a heating sign. Went to the driver’s seat, and lo, burning red, my button switched on to high for heat. Whew! Switched it off promptly!

Great offroad equipment

Apart from seat heaters, it has a vast array of considerate equipment: hill descent control and hill start assist, and for that four-wheel-drive mountain climb, the electronically controlled all-wheel drive system boasts three settings: 2WD, Auto and 4WD Lock. The system employs an electronic coupler to divert power from the front to the rear wheels, if and when your – or rather, the vehicle’s - traction becomes compromised.
Other standard equipment includes a front centrally mounted sunglasses holder/rear mirror so you can check on the juniors behind you, a one-pull lever that immediately flattens the rear seats to expand the boot space even more, tons of stowage space and little compartments (underfloor and underseat), and a two-piece tailgate.

Renault's Koleos is great on the tar too

It’s a fabulous vehicle, and fellow motoring scribes rate it favourably in the dirt. On the tar, it was terrific.
Cost: R345 000 for the flagship 2.0 dCi manual Dynamique model I drove, but there’s always the more affordable 2.5 4x2 at R270 000.