Renault Koleos

Renault’s heading off road, and Auto Express has the pictures to prove it!

Auto Express Car Reviews

Text: Dan Strong / Photos: Automedia

13th June 2007

These spyshots reveal a heavily disguised Koleos prototype undergoing testing in France. The car, which is being developed alongside a near identical vehicle to be launched by the firm’s Korean partner Samsung, will be built on a Nissan designed 4x4 chassis and powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine.

Expected to offer a split tailgate, the car’s glazed roof panel will be topped by aluminium roof bars, while the chunky wheel arches will house 19 inch alloy wheels. The 200mm ground clearance shall confirm that this will be a car built for adventure.

Obviously not taken over to production will be the design of the concept car’s rear which asserted its identity in a long sweep that ran from the base of the rear screen and through to the centre of the hatch.

The Koleos will boast a wide range of safety equipment. Some are designed for day to day motoring, like ABS, Emergency Brake Assist and ESP, while others are valuable all-terrain functions such as Hill Down Control (HDC) and Hill Start Assist (HSA). To minimize polluting emissions, the 2.0 dCi will be equipped with a particulate filter.

Prices for the car are expected to start at around £17,000.