I must admit that when I first heard that Renault were introducing an SUV, I rolled my eyes. And you can’t really blame me, said Liana Reiners of the Koleos 4X2.

After all, Renault is known for manufacturing stylish French cars such as the Mégane or city slickers like the Clio and Modus. Renault is certainly not known for roughing it. And going off-road in a Renault was just about as unfathomable as Brad Pitt walking through my office door. I just wasn’t convinced that the newcomer would be any good.

Renault Koleos exceeded my wildest expectations

Price: From R270 000 To R345 000 Article Options Email to Friend Print Article Remove from Favorites Add to Favorites Remove from 'Articles to Read' Add to 'Articles to Read'

But after attending its local launch and having the new Koleos on test for a week, I am now forced to eat humble pie. Truth is, it far exceeded even my wildest expectations.

As all Renaults are – in my book anyway – the Koleos is a very attractive vehicle. It certainly looks the part of an SUV but without looking beastly and overbearing. And being only 4,52 metres long and 1,85 metres wide, it’s easy to handle in city traffic.

Small and easy to handle but spacious too

I was equally impressed with the interior. It’s spacious and well laid out, all controls easily identifiable and placed within easy reach of the driver. There are even satellite controls for the sound system on the steering wheel so your eyes don’t have to leave the road as you tune to your favourite radio station, skip tracks on the CD or turn the volume up and down.

One thing that can really bug me about a car is the seating position. Sometimes I just can’t seem to get comfortable. I didn’t have that problem in the Koleos. Apart from the fact that the seats are very comfortable, the driving position can be tailored and fine-tuned to suit just about anyone’s preferences.

Renault Koleos offers a smooth and comforable ride

On the road the Koleos doesn’t disappoint either. While it has the raised stance and spacious interior of an SUV, it boasts the dynamics and handling of a sedan. And the ride quality is surprisingly smooth and comfortable.

Choice of petrol and diesel engines

The new Koleos is offered with a choice of petrol and turbodiesel engines. The model I had was fitted with a 2,5-litre four-cylinder DOHC unit delivering 126 kW at 6 000 r/min and 226 Nm of torque at 4 4000 r/min and mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

4X4 and 4X2 models available

And although this was a 4x2 model, I had the opportunity to drive the 4x4 variant on the launch. Here, again, I couldn’t find fault.

The 4x4 drivetrain is a product of the Nissan-Renault alliance and is shared with the latest Nissan X-Trail. It automatically distributes torque between the front and rear axles via an electronic coupler, depending on traction requirements. In normal on-road conditions, drive is purely to the front wheels.

Back to my Renault Koleos test vehicle

The manufacturer claims that this 4x2 manual version reaches 100 km/h from rest in 9 seconds and has a 193 km/h top speed. I never really put this to the test but what I do no is that it is no slouch. Acceleration and overtaking is a breeze. And the best news of all is that fuel consumption is claimed to be 9,6 litres/100 km so your fuel bill won’t break the bank.

A few more features of the Renault Koleos

Practical versatility is the order of the day. An example is the split-opening, clamshell-design tailgate. The upper part can be opened separately when space is limited, while still allowing items of up to a metre long to be loaded. Full access to the cargo space is provided when the lower half is also folded down.

Other practical features include the modular seating arrangements with its 60:40 split rear bench seat, which can be folded down from the boot. When folded, they provide a completely flat cargo floor and a luggage capacity of 1 380 litres. Even with the seats in place, there’s 450 litres of boot space available.

Additional stowage is provided by a plethora of cubbies and binnacles, including a refrigerated glove compartment, under-seat drawers, underfoot compartments, door panel binnacles, cup holders and an underfloor compartment in the boot.

Renault is famous for its safety credentials

And of course what would a Renault be without impressive safety credentials. The Koleos offers very high standards of active and passive safety, underscored by its five-star rating by the Euro NCAP safety standards authority.  It almost goes without saying that it has all-disc brakes, equipped with ABS anti-lock control, electronic brake force distribution, emergency braking assistance and ESP stability control.

Passive safety features include six airbags, load limiters for the front and outer rear seatbelts, front seatbelt pretensioners and Isofix child seat anchors in the outer rear seating positions.

Verdict: Not just another compact SUV

My verdict? The Renault Koleos is not just another compact SUV. It’s versatile, comfortable, enjoyable and safe and it comes with a healthy dose of French flair. Would I buy one? You bet. Incidentally, prices range from R270 000 for the 2.0 dCi 4x4 Manual to R345 000 for the 2.5 4x4 CVT. The model I had has a price tag of R285 000.