Koleos takes Renault’s crossover crown

The new Renault Koleos is the French manufacturer’s new halo model. Simon Davis puts the new SUV to the test in Finland.

THE Koleos represents a venture into unchartered territory for Renault. Where the original Koleos was more of a compact SUV, this new second-generation model moves the nameplate into the larger D-segment, and crowns the Renault crossover range.

Unveiled at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show, the new Koleos SUV is based on the same Renault-Nissan Alliance CMF-C/D (Common Module Family) platform as the Nissan X-Trail. However, where Nissan’s large SUV is available with a seven-seat configuration, Renault offers the Koleos strictly as a five-seater.