Test drive by Renault Koleos since 2008 SUV

Japanamater, or French candy wrappers

Remember, it happened that in the days of a happy socialist childhood you will buy a pilot with a white filling for a weight of sweets, and among the whole package there will certainly be at least one such that only a candy wrapper from the pilot: you turn it around, bit it, and there is a mask!
 
Seeing the participants in this test, anyone will reasonably think that this is a comparative test of two French crossovers. And it will be right. But only partly. Because the French here is only a wrapper, but in fact, these candy counselors are not a pilot at all, but a mask, and originally from Japan. Only one of them has a fantic thicker and more sophisticated, and the other has quite light, almost transparent.
As you all understand, we are talking about the platforms of Japanese cars that use Renault and Citroen. So, Koleos turned out from the Nissan X-Trail concern. And the C-Crosser is even easier to turn over Mitsubishi Outlander XL. How did this happen? How did it happen that their filling is not white? And the whole point is that the French were late. And those and others. I am sure that it will not be easy to recall a car manufacturer who has no at least some SUV in the lineup. But Renault and Citroen did not have until recently. As there was probably no particular desire or means to build a crossover on their own.
Here the Japanese from Mitsubishi, who gave the PSA to the Outlander XL with all the giblets, just turned up. Of course, not just like that, but for a well-established French 2.2-liter 156-horsepower turbodiesel (installed, in particular, on the same C-Crosser and his brother Peugeot 4007). Well, the renoshniks decided: why look for good from good, if you can ask Renault-Nissan colleagues from one of the most popular Nissan X-Trail crossovers in Russia. So our two heroes were born without much torment. Everyone seems to be satisfied: both French dads happily sway their children in their arms, and Japanamers also feel good. And how will the buyer feel who have to raise and drink these children?
The motive of the potential owner of the new Renault is in principle understandable. Still, the heart is far from the heart, Koleos is far from X-Trail. First of all, he looks completely different. Let's leave disputes about the extraordinary appearance of the crossover and recognize the obvious Koleos is original and it is not like that on the X-TRIIL, but not for any of its classmates. The Cubism of the Japanese replaced the design from Renault, rounded shapes, cunning rear lights, a characteristic front of the thick crossbar with a huge emblem and the headlights flowing back.
Your own and salon. Good interior. The French managed to bring a special warm mood and some special charm to him, which is several unusual crossovers of this class. The soft plastic of the front panel, leather chairs, which finally became as soft as in the last generation of Renault cars. Only the edging silver plastic is slightly dissonated. In principle, the foregoing is already enough to consider Koleos as a competitor to X-Trail, and not as a pilot in the candy waist. But it turned out, and Renault rides differently.
A 2.5 liter motor, a stranded variator and an all-wheel drive transmission All-Mode 4x4-I are taken from the donor without changes. According to subjective sensations, and the nature of the overclocking of the Frenchman is just as calm, but quite sufficient, without emotion, with the freezing of the variator in the zone of maximum torque. All this we once already passed with the X-Trail. But noise insulation and smoothness are simply canceled! Koleos suspension is a real find for those who were looking for the most comfortable car in this class. For this, it is quite possible for him to forgive large rolls and low steering sensitivity. You are just swimming on the waves of traffic. And on the primer, the oscillations become a little stronger, but still blows are transmitted to the riders in delicate form.
You can crawl out on the off -road, but not serious. Despite the fact that the geometry of Koleos is good, the passages are quite large and there is even a transmission mode that blocks the center coupling, this one looks better on hard coatings than beyond their borders.
It turns out that the X-Trail Koleos is very noticeable. It is more difficult with sir. A pair of branded emblems on the radiator grill and the steering wheel and other design of the front, in my opinion, not quite sufficient changes so that the car from Japanese turns into French. Although the notorious apologists of the Citroen brand may be enough. But no matter what side you look at C-Crosser, outside or inside, this is all the same Outlander XL.
There is a complete clone in the cabin. Compared to Mitsubishi, nothing has changed. And this is bad, because in terms of the interior Koleos, it beats its competitor. Hard plastic is everywhere, dull backlight, simple devices, the lack of adjustment of the steering column by departure and the shortage of separate climate cannot be attributed to the pluses. To replace some materials, add a couple of interesting chips (even in Citroen they can), revive the backlight, slightly change the dashboard and, perhaps, C-Crosser would play in a new way. But this, alas, did not happen.
Nevertheless, the landing in the crosser liked the more chair here denser than that of Renault, they better hold the body. And this is not without reason. Because, unlike the phlegmatic of Koleos, Citroen is much sharper in all respects and on the steering wheel, and in brakes, and in the suspension (thanks to Mitsubishi). It feels better here (and the numbers are worse). Probably, such an illusion is the merit of a manual gearbox with a clear switching mechanism because both cars are the same (170 hp) and the all -wheel drive systems are constructively similar.
Knowing that it will be difficult to defeat such a novelty and originality of the buyer, other trump cards stored in Citroen. So C-Crosser is available in the simplest trim levels (like our test car) on the handle and 16-inch wheels, has a third series of children's seats, and also has a modification with the very 2.2-liter turbodiesel (perhaps this is not so much but, for example, Outlander XL has neither one nor the other in Russia).
The main advantage of the Citroen crossover is good in the framework of the class, which determines the portrait of a potential buyer of Japanese-French candy. This is an individual who desperately wants his crossover to be controlled as Outlander XL, but nevertheless to be European, in a more spectacular wrapper from Citroen. It remains to wish such a buyer to opt for a diesel version, the French make excellent heavy fuel engines. This is probably even good that every bag with pilots has its own mask? Diversity will never hurt anyone. The main thing is to be ready for this
Dmitry Krotov
 

 

 

Source: Motor magazine [January 2009]