Test drive by Renault Koleos since 2008 SUV

Cosmopolitan

After the unification of Renault and Nissan, many were waiting for the appearance of a French company in the range of the French company. A logical step, since the demand for crossovers is growing steadily and there is the opportunity to significantly save when creating such a car, having access to the technologies of the Japanese company, which cannot be occupied in creating all -wheel drive machines. However, Renault pulled, and only this year, nine years after the formation of the Alliance, in the model range appeared its crossover, Koleos.
On a common platform
I’ll start with a reservation: an all -wheel drive car that could be called a crossover, Renault already had this Scenic RX4, which appeared in 1999. With the original body kit and a clearance of 210 mm, this model, nevertheless, did not cause much enthusiasm for the public, and in our country the sales were single. However, the company insists that it is Koleos that is the first all -wheel drive crossover in the history of Renault, and I will not argue. There was nothing, it was not as if you deigned.
Renault Koleos was built, as it is easy to guess, on the platform C, which served as the basis for Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail models. However, you should not look for the designers of the French company in these machines of external similarity, in my opinion, it was possible to create a truly original car in which the Renault branded style is quite appropriate. Whether it is like whether it is a matter of taste. I will note that, despite the common platform, Koleos fits between Qashqai and X-Trail in terms of overall sizes. Compared to the first, it is 210 mm longer, with an increase in the wheelbase by 60 mm.
Not so much in common has a French car with their brothers and inside. The wave -like front panel is finished with rather soft plastic, and decorated with round ventilation deflectors and a small monitor in the central part. Some useful information is displayed on the monitor, such as the current time and temperature overboard, as well as data from the audio system, which can also be controlled by the traditional joystick for the Renault under the steering wheel.
The steering column is adjustable both in height and by departure. On the front side of the steering wheel are the buttons responsible for the operation of the cruise control. The instrument shield is quite informative, although it looks, by modern standards, it is somewhat rustic. The main role on it is assigned to the speedometer, under which there is a small monitor of the on -board computer. Tachometer on the left, and on the right, the temperature indicators of the power unit and the fuel supply in the tank.
Driving as a whole is convenient. The driver's seat profile is very successful, it moves widely. And the location of the main governing bodies is quite ergonomical, although I can not do without small complaints. Here is a separate climate control system for a driver and a front passenger with a control unit on the central console. It does not have a Mono button, so you have to set the desired temperature twice first with one lever, then another. Under the microclimate block, a music center, the engine start button and a slot for a branded key card, the distinctive feature of most Renault models recent years. There is also a button for selecting the front drive type, AUTO mode, when the rear wheels are connected automatically, and a hard all -wheel drive with a locked cloth. But more on that later.
There is an electric handbrake, there are many places for transporting all kinds of things. This, again, according to the tradition of Renault, the compartments hidden from prying eyes in the floor, a spacious glove box and large pockets in the doorway. From the point of view of a pragmatic family man, Koleos is a very suitable car. Indeed, in the backs of the front seats there are folding tables, and the cup holders have at the disposal of both those sitting in front and those who find themselves in the back seat. True, there could be more space behind the legs at the back, but you can change the angle of inclination of the back. The volume of the luggage compartment can be varied from 450 to 1380 liters. The back door is two -section, its lower part can withstand, as the manufacturer claims, a load of 200 kg. You stopped, for example, in a wild place to drink a coffee where to sit down.
Sailed?
In Russia, Koleos is proposed so far only with a gasoline 2.5-liter power unit with a capacity of 170 hp. From the same Nissan. However, most of the technical filling, including the all-wheel drive system All Mode 4x4-I, the Japanese structure.
The car that got on the test was equipped with a variator, although the motor in the base is aggregated with a 6-speed manual transmission. But in this version of Koleos a rather dynamic car. Of course, the spirit does not capture from acceleration, and the process itself from a step to the step is very smooth, but there are no complaints about the dynamics. In addition, the variator reacts well to the driver’s actions, at the right time, quickly switching to a low gear on his command. But the accelerator pedal seemed, on the contrary, too sore thoroughly.
But comfort is guaranteed, which seemed to be put at the forefront when creating a model. This is expressed, first of all, in rather soft pendants, which confidently, without complaints, swallow most irregularities. But considerable rolls of the body on turns and tangible buildup on the waves of asphalt. But in a straight line, the car rides perfectly, even at high speeds. Eh, here it would be a little more tough and informative steering, everything would be fine! But the electric amplifier, no matter how he tries, still cannot provide a clear picture of what is happening under the front wheels.
At the same time, Koleos pleased with stability. The merit in this belongs not so much to the stabilization system, which, by the way, can be completely turned off as a full -wheel drive transmission. So, in the front -wheel drive mode, the machine demonstrates insufficient rotation, striving to go out the turn, if you overdo it at speed. In Auto mode, the full -wheel drive system itself is already contributing to stability. Electronics, receiving data from numerous sensors, decides to what extent it is necessary to block the coupling in order, on the one hand, to compensate for insufficient rotation, and, on the other, do not allow the rear axle drift. However, if you wish, you can still achieve slipping, even when you are not particularly striving for this. The reason is not in the car itself, but, directly, in the disgusting Korean tires Hankook. Of course, thanks to excellent soundproofing, they are not heard inside, but low rolling resistance sometimes leads to loss of confidence behind the wheel and rather unpredictable reactions, such as a sharp breakdown into demolition. At such moments, you understand that Koleos is going to Korea, at the Samsung factory. By the way, the model is also produced there, QM5 is an outwardly almost accurate copy of the Frenchman.
However, I will return to the running qualities, and I will note good brakes, again adjusted to the tires. The power of the calipers with more than enough to quickly stop the car, but the mediocre clamps of tires sometimes lead to a rather early operation of ABS, which slightly lengthens the braking distance.
In conclusion about the off -road qualities of Koleos, which were on top. The clearance of 210 mm and considerable angles of entry and congress (even a little more than the X-Trail), allow us to completely confidently overcome serious off-road. But it should be borne in mind that Koleos is still not a real jeep, and although the center coupling is blocked, there is no reducing series of transmission. However, the main thing in this machine is still comfort and convenience in everyday use, and not off -road qualities.
It remains for me to say about prices that begin at 869 thousand rubles. True, this figure at the end of December 2008, which will surely change in a large way in 2009. Nevertheless, both in terms of dimensions and when calculating prices, marketers of the Renault-Nissan alliance tried to attach Koleos exactly between Qashqai and X-Trail, and therefore this car will certainly find their customer.
Andrey Osipov
Photo by Renault
 

Source: Magazine Automobile Izvestia [January 2009]