Beijing Motor Show: India-bound 2017 Renault Koleos unveiled

Completing the final piece in its puzzle of resurgence, Renault debuted the 2017 Koleos SUV at the ongoing Beijing Motor Show recently. The car is set to be launched across 80 markets globally this year, with a seven-seater avatar also in the making.

To be positioned as the French carmaker’s new flagship product, the 2017 Renault Koleos will sport the same global design language as its cousins, the new Megane and Talisman. The front grille houses the diamond Renault logo flanked by full LED C-shaped headlights on both sides. It also features four vertical chrome slats, and a faux skid plate on the bumper that adds to its masculinity. 

The raked windscreen section of the outgoing model has been replaced by an upright stance. The new Koleos sits on 19-inch alloy wheels in a dual-tone design and the wheel arches are fitted with plastic body cladding.

The inside of the car has been given a more premium feel with a large portrait-style central touchscreen, instrument cluster with HD graphics and class-leading cabin space. 

In terms of features, the new Koleos gets emergency brake system, lane departure warning, safe distance warning, traffic sign recognition with excess speed warning, blind spot warning and tiredness detection.

While no engine details have been revealed yet, we expect the new Koleos to borrow its mechanical makeup from the Nissan X-Trail. What we know for now is that the SUV receives an all-wheel drive system, enabling drivers to switch from 2WD to 4WD Auto and also to 4WD Lock modes. 

The Renault Koleos has been a slow-seller in India so far. But given the success of Renault’s formula with the Kwid and Duster in the country, the French automaker may well replicate the same story with a much-improved Koleos. 

Expected to be launched later this year or by early 2017, the car could come with a sticker price in the vicinity of Rs 23 lakh – Rs 26 lakh. It will rub shoulders with the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Nissan X-Trail and another India-bound SUV, the Skoda Kodiaq in the future.