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By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 54

This second generation 'HC'-series Koleos crossover was launched in 2016 as the flagship model in Renault's SUV line-up when it was one of the most aspirational contenders the French brand had offered for some time. Gallic style allied to proven Nissan engineering has to be an appealing combination on the used market. Doesn't it?

Modelsword count: 15

5-door SUV - 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 dCi diesel [Dynamique S Nav, Iconic, GT-Line, Signature Nav]

Historyword count: 512

So, what have we here? A Korean-built, French-branded, Japanese-engineered supersized Crossover SUV that you've almost certainly never considered owning, but possibly might quite like. Welcome, to this second generation Renault Koleos. It's strange to think that as recently as 2012, the Renault model line-up offered no SUVs whatsoever. Even back then, it was clear to almost anyone in the industry that this class of car would be crucial for ongoing automotive profitability, but in its haste to embrace all-electric mobility, the French manufacturer had taken its eye off the ball in this regard. This might have been disastrous, had it not been for the maker's partnership with Japanese maker Nissan, a marque that for some time back then had been setting the standard when it came to what a volume-branded SUV should be like. Thanks to this tie-up, Renault was quickly able to re-package that company's Crossover product range and fill its showrooms with three new SUVs delivering the kind of car people increasingly wanted. The little Captur model was first, followed by the bigger Qashqai-sized Kadjar. Then in late 2016, this was followed up by the largest member of the trio, the plusher, more spacious Koleos. This then, was Renault getting serious about SUVs, but it wasn't the first time the company had tried to address the crossover segment. Back in 2007, the brand dipped its toe into this sector with another model badged Koleos', this a smaller contender that shared its engineering with a first generation Nissan Qashqai, but lacked that model's sharp handling and fashionable feel. It didn't have a lot else to recommend it either and as a result, almost no one wanted that early 'HY'-series MK1 Koleos, hence the need to rather ignominiously withdraw the car from our market after just three years on sale, though it continued to be offered in Europe until 2015. In the years following though, lessons were learnt and this handsome, almost premium-looking 'HC'-series MK2 Koleos contender was the result, built at a state-of-the-art Renault Nissan Alliance factory in Busan, South Korea and launched in the UK in the Spring of 2017. It was based on a Nissan X-Trail, but didn't have that model's third row seating option. In some ways, that was understandable - Renault was keen to avoid any prospect of customer overlap with its Grand Scenic 7-seat MPV - but this omission did put this car at something of a disadvantage when it came to stealing sales from similarly-sized SUVs - not only the X-Trail but also cars like Skoda's Kodiaq, Volkswagen's Tiguan, Peugeot's 5008 and Mitsubishi's Outlander. Maybe also slightly pricier options like Land Rover's Discovery Sport, Hyundai's Santa Fe and Kia's Sorento. At launch, Renault was keen to point out though that the five-seat formula was working well enough in this segment for relatively contenders like the Ford Edge, the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V. But it didn't work particularly well for the Koleos and, despite a facelift in Spring 2020, sales were slow and the car was withdrawn from Renault's UK line-up in late 2020.

What You Getword count: 277

Renault makes some stylish large cars these days, though few of them now make it to our market. Here, in the form of a contender we did get, is proof of that. From its period, the Koleos was one of the sector's more elegant volume-branded larger SUVs. Inside, this Koleos wasn't a big step up pricewise from Renault's other mid-sized SUV, the Kadjar, but it feels a world apart from that model behind the wheel. Go for this model's plusher 'Signature Nav' trim and there's lovely stitched leather upholstery and, perhaps a little less agreeably, faux wood veneer inlays, applied to the dash and the doors. The other feature that sets a 'Signature'-trimmed Koleos apart is the provision of Renault's idea of state-of-the-art infotainment, a 8.7-inch 'portrait'-style centre dash 'R-Link 2' touchscreen, there to bring a touch of Tesla to this family SUV. In the rear, there's further evidence of careful design. The doors, for example, open with one of the widest apertures in the class. Once inside, you'll find yourself in another part of this car that's a real step up from its Kadjar showroom stablemate. Whereas in that model, fitting in a family of five is a bit of a squeeze, here it's a breeze, courtesy of an extended CMF platform that gives this Koleos one of the longest wheelbase lengths in the class. As for the boot, well inside, a 579-litre space is revealed. A removable boot floor is positioned at the same height as the sill to form a flat base for the cargo area and beneath it, there's a compartmented tray for smaller items you might want to keep out of sight.

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