Renault Koleos

Renault Koleos at a glance

According to the old 1cars text, the Koleos was Renault's first real crossover, apart from the raised Scénic RX4 compact MPV. The first car was previewed by the Koleos Concept at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, and the production model launched at the end of 2007 in South Korea and in 2008 elsewhere. Renault's story is told in the history of Renault, and its range, from the compact Arkana to the Duster, is in the Renault catalogue.

First generation (2008–2015)

The production Koleos went on sale in Europe in August 2008, according to the old 1cars text, and was built in Busan and, from 2010 to 2017, in Chennai, India. It was positioned against SUVs such as the Honda CR-V, the Toyota RAV4 and the Nissan Qashqai. A facelift was unveiled in July 2011 and shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011.

According to the old 1cars text, the 2.5-litre petrol reaches 100 km/h in 9.3 seconds and the car has 206 mm of ground clearance. The All Mode 4x4-i four-wheel-drive system uses a multi-plate clutch to send torque to the rear axle when needed. The boot holds 450 litres, or about 1,380 litres with a flat floor when the rear seats are folded.

In safety tests, ADAC awarded the first Koleos five stars in August 2008, and the old 1cars text notes five Euro NCAP stars in 2008. ANCAP recorded 13.12 out of 16 in the frontal offset test and 15.96 out of 16 in the side impact test.

Second generation (2016–2025)

The second Koleos was introduced at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show. It uses the Renault–Nissan CMF-CD platform shared with the Nissan X-Trail (T32), the Nissan Rogue and the Renault Kadjar. It was built in Busan as the Renault Samsung QM6 (from 2022 Renault QM6), in Wuhan, China, by Dongfeng Renault until 2020, and in Iran. Production of the QM6 ended in November 2025.

Gearboxes were a six-speed manual, the Jatco X-Tronic CVT8 continuously variable transmission and a seven-speed EDC dual-clutch.

Three drivetrains were offered: front-wheel drive, an automatic four-wheel-drive mode that varies torque between the axles, and locked four-wheel drive. According to the old 1cars text, the 2.0 dCi produces 380 Nm, reaches 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds and has a top speed of 201 km/h. The second Koleos earned five Euro NCAP stars, and its 2017 ANCAP test recorded 84% for adult occupants, 79% for children, 62% for pedestrians and 52% for safety assist. A facelift followed in 2019.

Third generation: Grand Koleos (from 2024)

The third generation was introduced on 27 June 2024 at the Busan International Mobility Show, and production began in July 2024 at Renault Korea's Busan plant. It is based on the CMF architecture of the Geely Xingyue L (Monjaro).

The petrol model uses a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, or an eight-speed automatic with four-wheel drive, which comes from BorgWarner's sixth-generation system. The hybrid has a multi-mode gearbox.

Koleos sales

Interior and equipment

According to the old 1cars text, the first-generation Koleos offered a full electric package, heated seats and mirrors, fog lights, six airbags and keyless engine start, and the rear seats fold to give a flat load floor. The same source criticises the position of the start button and of the switch for the All Mode 4x4-i system, which sits low on the console behind the gear lever.

Rivals: how the Koleos compares

The Koleos competes with mid-size SUVs such as the Nissan X-Trail, the Hyundai Tucson and the Subaru Forester. Its strengths are a large boot, diesel and hybrid options and a choice of four-wheel-drive modes. The first generation sold modestly in Europe, with fewer than 22,000 cars a year at its peak.