GENEVA — Renault will finally get a competitive compact SUV to sell in Europe and global markets when it launches the Koleos, a companion to the Samsung QM5 and the Nissan Qashqai.
The 4x4 Koleos, which will square off against such popular compacts as the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4, is a collaborative effort of the Renault-Nissan-Samsung global alliance and the third of the triplets to be unveiled. The vehicle was designed in France by Renault, engineered and developed in Japan by Nissan and built in Korea by Samsung.
At the moment, there are no plans to market a version in North America, where Nissan is represented in the segment by the new Rogue. The Koleos, the QM5, the Qashqai and the Rogue all are built on the alliance partners' Global C platform. The Koleos measures 178 inches long overall, about 5 inches shorter than the Rogue.
Among the common features are on-demand four-wheel drive and all-independent suspension, with MacPherson struts in front and a multilink layout in the rear.
In Europe, the Koleos will be offered with two versions of Renault's 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, including one rated at 175 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic gearbox.
Features include keyless start, automatic headlamps and wipers, automatic parking brake, hill start assist and hill descent control, a chilled in-dash glovebox, rear underfloor storage and folding tables with integral cupholders in the front seatbacks.
What this means to you: Renault is borrowing a page from GM's global playbook, using its Korean partner as a low-cost production base. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
The 4x4 Koleos, which will square off against such popular compacts as the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4, is a collaborative effort of the Renault-Nissan-Samsung global alliance and the third of the triplets to be unveiled. The vehicle was designed in France by Renault, engineered and developed in Japan by Nissan and built in Korea by Samsung.
At the moment, there are no plans to market a version in North America, where Nissan is represented in the segment by the new Rogue. The Koleos, the QM5, the Qashqai and the Rogue all are built on the alliance partners' Global C platform. The Koleos measures 178 inches long overall, about 5 inches shorter than the Rogue.
Among the common features are on-demand four-wheel drive and all-independent suspension, with MacPherson struts in front and a multilink layout in the rear.
In Europe, the Koleos will be offered with two versions of Renault's 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, including one rated at 175 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic gearbox.
Features include keyless start, automatic headlamps and wipers, automatic parking brake, hill start assist and hill descent control, a chilled in-dash glovebox, rear underfloor storage and folding tables with integral cupholders in the front seatbacks.
What this means to you: Renault is borrowing a page from GM's global playbook, using its Korean partner as a low-cost production base. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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