A cornerstone for Renault since its New Zealand re-launch has been the Koleos SUV. Even the brand's managers didn't see that coming, expecting instead that the Megane hatches and Fluence sedans would be their hero models.
But it's not hard to see why the marketplace has taken to the compact sports utility, which is basically a set of Nissan mechanicals wrapped in a well-styled and airy French body. Some would say the combo is the best of both worlds, especially as it carries a top five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
The sleek $42,990 Koleos highlights the international nature of today's motor industry. Its body was designed by Renault on a platform and running gear developed by Nissan for the X-Trail, and it is built for the French-Japanese partnership by Renault Samsung Motors in South Korea. Renault has an 81 per cent interest in the Samsung factory and Koleos is sold in South Korea as the Renault Samsung QM5.
The Renault-Nissan alliance links the Japanese and French companies through a cross-shareholding arrangement and technology-sharing. It has succeeded where international groupings such as Daimler and Chrysler failed.
Koleos is based on concept cars shown in Europe as early as 2000. New Zealand gets it in three flavours, a 2WD petrol model at just under $38,000, the all-wheel-drive (AWD) petrol we've been driving and a diesel at $49,990. Specifications include 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/60 R17 tyres, cruise control, dual zone climate air-conditioning, roof rails, fog lamps and automatic headlights and wipers. Optional 18-inch rims with 225/55-series tyres were fitted to the test car. The rear is notable for a split-opening clamshell tailgate, an arrangement popular on the expensive Range Rover, and there's a ski hatch in the rear seat backrest. Foldout tables on the backs of the front seats are a nice touch, especially for kids.
