Renault Koleos review: The 2020 SUV you probably forgot about. Comes w/ Apple CarPlay + Android Auto 

I bought a Koleos Itens when they were first introduced in 2016, I haven't had any issues at all & she's a proper on demand 4x4, I've towed with her, moved house with her packed full from Sydney to Kyogle & never missed a beat. She hugs the road, overtakes with ease, runs on an oily rag & has proper road manners as we used to say. We have a mixture of bitumen (good, bad & ugly) & dirt around here & although sometimes she doesn't quite ride as softly as a dream, she never loses grip & she'll stop on a dime. Now the ride could be a little softer and the seats could have that slight bottom extension thing, but that truly is the only gripe I have. With all the things she does including handsfree parking, you get so used to being pampered it's a bit of a letdown driving anything else. For what you get, plus the service, warranty and the customer service, the price is unbeatable & I know because I've been looking around. But I think I might just go have a look at the new 2020, there's a couple of new updates on them and possibly just trade mine in or keep her. I really can't find much better for the whole package!

Paul don’t forget the best feature that many cars do not have..Automatic locking, just walk away and it locks itself..

I have had my Koleos since 2015, never given me an issue. Never needed a mechanic aside from scheduled services. I like it so much that I'm upgrading to the 2021 Intens.

Bought a 2020 intens with a 7 year warranty unbelievable value for what you get couldn't be happier , surprising not more on the road.

I have a 2017 Kolios, it's done over 150000km and still runs like new. Love it for the size, we can fit 3 big (Britax maxi guard pros) child seats across the back with ease. Nothing else seemed to offer the same amount of size for the price.

Maybe there is a higher type of Koleos right there. Because in my country (Indonesia) the highest type of Koleos everything is LED, panoramic sunroof and the head unit is 10 inch - portrait like a tablet. But overall your review is really great and I really like it. Keep up the good work!!!

Owned one for a year now. Good things: Great car for the price Comfortable Heaps of room Heated front seats and blind spot rare at this price 5 year warranty (or 7 if you get one of the promotions. Bad things: The infotainment/Sat nav is truly crap Fuel is 10.7 litres per 100k’s around town according to the car but it is really almost 13 when you check it properly. It is calibrated wrong and tells you a straight out lie! It is a fuel guzzler and I drive normally. Engine is noisy and cvt is pretty average Not quick but then you don’t really expect too much there. Hope the above helps any prospective buyer.

I've actually helped a number of friends and family get into the Koleos, both this model and the previous model. I think in terms of value for money it works really well, especially for those people who intend to keep it for a long time and resale is less relevant for. Yes, the multimedia system could be better, but with the great deals Renault are offering along with the space and standard level of features, there's not much else out there that can compete - again in my opinion. I preferred the Peugeot 3008 personally, which is much better but also more expensive and slightly smaller - so it's always good to get a good review of an underdog that deserves to do better! Thanks for the great reviews Paul - loving the new way! :)

Had to go all the way to Australia to see the best review ever, had several worries before I purchase a koleos, now I feel happy to go ahead, thanks to a great presentation, good on ya mate, thanks regards pete

I just drove it, and actually uploaded the review yesterday (in Spanish though), I have to say I came away impressed, it is not fast or sporty, but it is very comfortable and really well equipped, it can park itself, loved the cooled seats, plenty of room and nice massage driver seat. It is great for someone who prefers equipment over driving enjoyment.

In answer to the colour question, the colours other than basics makes sense. For example, I've been painting kit guitars recently using automotive acrylic. Clear coat and white costs about 30 to 40 bucks per litre... latest one I got them to mix a Dupont Fender guitars colour called Dakota Red for me. That set me back over $70 for 1 litre....

Love that comment: “the harder you drive, the more leaves will drop off and the tree losses all its leaves”.

I looked at this last year, but ended up buying a Grand Scenic! It was the mpg that swayed us! I like the Koleos, but the Scenic does the same job!

I don’t comment on anything however this video made me to buy koleos and also leave this comment. Great review and I love the way you went into all the details of the car. Thanks

We would like to have a comparison between different cars in the same segment so that we know how good it is

I have a 3 year old one in Life spec. Great car so far. Lots of car for the price. Great for the 25km I drive every day.

Thanks for putting in a brief mention of the review car's competitors. I think it really helps. Notice Renault has gone full touch screen for their infotainment system, the same that Audi has. I had a loan Q3 35 yesterday as the car was in for service, and after a day using Audi's touch screen system, I don't like the new direction. A touch screen system makes it more difficult to do things like choosing the next podcast while driving. Like I saw with the Koleos system, there's a perceptible delay in the next function being available after pressing on the screen. I found I needed to keep looking at the screen to know whether my finger press registered, and then check to see where to tap next, taking my eyes off the road. With a physical dial/press like my car has, there is less eyes-on-screen time. Plus, a dial avoids fingerprints on the screen. Thanks for another review!

Paul, would be great if you could do a review on Koleos 2023.

Paul, I like your reviews, your reviews helped me to narrow down my list to three. 2021 Rav 4 edge, Honda CRV top spec and Koleos Intense. Paul have you done a comparison on these three. Hi friends please add your opinion on these models.

@carexpert - any chance you can review the CX-5 Diesel - or are you waiting on the rumoured tech/safety update for MY2021?

Yes I have a Megane RS and it has LED everything, including headlights and crappy 2 cent incandescent number plate lights. I went straight out and bought a couple LED globes

Great review, my dad has a 2017 one, it’s the highest trim level, has a bigger infotainment screen sadly no Apple CarPlay or android auto. Ventilated seats. Front LED headlights. Power operated trunk.

This Aussie Car Review Is Impressively Entertaining With A Interesting Presenter Who Delivers His Jargon With A Touch Of Suttle Aussie Humour. In all, I found the Review Entertaining And Informative Without The Car Snoberly So Common In These Video's, So Did The Koleos Impress I Do Believe So? Here In The UK, The Koleos Is a Pretty Rare Beast The Nissan X Trail Cousin being Far More Common.

Nice! can you compare this with the mitsubishi outlander please?

Definitely on my shortlist for my next car. My wife is driving a Renault Captur and it is another delight. I prefer the dual clutch to CVT, so hopefully this will be available. The engine should be a turbo 1.6 rather than a 2.5. Renault is well known for their turbos. Fully agree the Koleos is better than the Nissan.

Intuitively, Koleos gives Euro buyers (many of whom are wealth signalling), a cheaper (pricewise) proposition with a Euro badge on a Japanese 'peace of mind' SUV. For some, all arguments end here.

High time for Renault to add a new infotainment and a turbo engine with a torque converter. Nice reviews Paul👌. I think white is cheap as it comes with solid paint unlike metallic paints which contains aluminum powder, costing a significant amount of money.

We had one as a rental and were equally surprised by the value for the price. Seeing quite a few about in Victoria lately or perhaps we just notice them more after having one for 3 weeks

Please do a review on the Renault Kadjar

The cup holder heating is from Nissan. I own a 2009 Xtrail and its cupholders have the same heating/cooling mechanism. Just an additional vent from AC/Heater and it does a pretty decent job.

Wow, thats pretty affordable in Australia. In Europe it's almost double! And it's a European brand?

in my country Koleos starts at 29,090 €, awd start at 35k, fully loaded is about 42k, and we have only diesels here. quite expensive and not really my cup of tea. besides, there's the rule of three Fs: no French, no Ford, no Fiat 🙂 (ok, I'd exclude Ford from the list, but I'd have a really hard time to decide for a French car - no offense intended). and thanks - once again - for detailed review (and reasonable publishing time for us Europeans 😉)

"You can have a male or female voice telling you where to go" - so I can be told I'm wrong even when I am by myself in the car! Brilliant!

I liked the previous generation more. Not really anything special but a very good used buy and comfortable. These seem quite popular for rental fleets too especially in Tasmania. If buying new though it would be a Peugeot 5008 for me, but only if they bring out a 4x4 version. I dont even have kids but I like SUV's for touring/travelling long distance and the extra space would be useful as well as 4x4 for some light off road work.

The Renault Koleos is South Korean build and runs in big numbers all over in Korea as Samsung QM6. Their vehicle after care over there is very good what can not be said about the vehicle care of Renault in Australia.

Thank you for review. What about maintenance cost? Cap service and without cap service? I think with all new models this should be included as not everyone is buying new. Great review. Regards

Just watching to see if Paul has a wardrobe stylist yet.... 😂

I saw this car driving in Louisiana! And I was like what an oddly attractive vehicle , I never seen one before in my life.

A some thing little different here,great review as usual Paul,seems a much better car than the X Trail.

How is it as an family car? I got tree kids and they have to fit in the backseat and be comfortable. Ive tried the Kadjar but its abit to small.

Cam someone assist......looking at towing a caravan (only 1400kg) unloaded....does anyone have one and how did it go

It’s not a shared platform, only engine and transmission. It’s a Korean Samsung. Wider taller longer seating cabin, different wheel base, only 2 rows. The entire body is bigger than xtrail. Some pieces of glass behind the rear doors are shared in the tail area only.

I just hired one down in SA, did 2000k's in seven days. Overall I thought it was pretty good. Being 194cm tall, I found my left leg hitting the grab handle on the centre console and when i turned the wheel my hand would come into contact with said leg. CVT made the engine rev it's head off when overtaking at highway speeds. Not as quick as a 2L equinox but produced same economy of 7.7L/100k. The ride was ok, felt more bumps than im used too but not a deal breaker. Plenty of space for two people, seats pretty good. Not a fan of the audio control below the wiper switch, prefer it to be on the wheel. Would prefer a dial as opposed to touch to adjust blower speed- had to take your eyes off the road. nav screen could be bigger. Cabin, nicely appointed.

Subscribers, Safe and comfortable driving and Happy New Year. Thank you for the informative video~ We always support you. The easiest way to double the smart key reception distance is to install a ferrite core on the front/rear power line to increase the reception distance and reduce battery discharge in winter. I hope a little help.

I have the Renault Formula special edition. This is my second Koleos. One of the best suvs out there for the money. Love it.

Big key!? Perfect, the wife finally can’t lose it.

Ah classic Renault putting the cruise control/ speed limiter in the centre console. The Clio 3 RS200 was exactly the same. Hopefully unlike the Clio you don't have to take the front bumper and headlights off just to change a headlight bulb :)

Silly question with stop start cars how do you get to the accessory mode like older cars used to have with the key?

I own a Koleos and there is led headlights ther other options aswell and the tailgate is automatic coz I’ve got one and the screen comes in 2 different sizes and there usb charging in the back guys this isn’t the only version there’s loads of others and there heated seats heated steering wheel I’m telling u a lot there’s alot

i wonder why you don't show us its smart autoparking feature

Impressive fuel consumption considering the engine and vehicle size

Bought a Koleos Zen a year ago with 44klms (brand new basically) on the clock and came with a panoramic sunroof (unusual on a Zen, normally on the Intens only) for $29990 plus on roads of about $2k. Amazing price really for what you get but yes the thing that lets it down is the infotainment and sat nav. It’s a bit overdone and the screen will often have a seizure and then come back to life after switching the car on and off! Weird. Apart from that, the sound system is brilliant, seats real comfortable, big boot, nice to drive and although the cruise control is in a weird spot, I got around it by leaving it constantly in the on position. It’s just another thing showing on the dash but so what. Cruise is then just a touch of your thumb on the steering wheel whenever you need it and I use it constantly around town with 50 then 60 limits all the time. My pet hate though is it’s telling me I am using 10.1 liters per 100klms. That should give me just over 600klms to a tank on average with a 62 litre tank right? I actually get 520klms if I’m lucky! They have deliberately (in my opinion) calibrated the consumption gauge to give a better reading than what is actually the case. Why are manufacturers never hauled over the coals for this misleading information? If you are a late model Koleos owner (can’t speak for earlier models) and you think you getting the consumption that the car is telling you, you are deluding yourself. Overall the car is really good but that last comment re the fuel is the sole reason I will never buy one again!

Should of reviewed the top of the range Intens

Base on what u said I gonna buy it even tho the engine a bit weak

regarding having more room in the second row than the X-Trail - try putting the driver's seat in the same place ! The rear space is identical in these two.

You guys need to do one for the Peugeot SUV's . They seem to have a good and different interior but don't sell much.

Why???? LED fog lights and halogen 🤷🏾‍♂️ Like really 🤦🏿‍♂️😫 I honestly cant see myself paying that amount of money and paying extra to change from Halogen to LED's. Nevertheless great review. It surprisingly has alot of space and a full sized spare wheel which is always a plus in my book ✌🏾😎✌🏾

what is the real-time average mpg for 1.7 diesel automatic?

Why the speedometer jumps incorrectly? As an example- push the accelerator the speedometer showed 30 km/h then 50 km/h. Not like 30,31,32 km/h. It’s confusing and chances to get speed fines

"The entertainment system is not very good" but earlier in the video when i was showing you the different features on the entertainment system i kept using the phrase "Thats really good".🤣🤣

Do how often do you replace those CVTs?

Previously considered the Koleos as my first big size SUV, but then it costs 190k on the road in my country so yeah went for a Kia instead

Tail lights identical with the 2021 lincoln continental coach

Why don't you ever test the diesel variant?

Did you find that it had a blind spot to the right?

The size of that key remote looks like one for the auto garage/gate in the 80s 😐

Don't forget u got a emergency key inside the fob

Nice

Can anyone explain why car reviewers obsess about soft touch dashboards? Can't remember the last time I stroked my dashboard.

Man I haven't heard tom tom in about 10 years

I've had one for 5 years and my experience is mixed. Overall the car does what it says but build quality is lacking. The driver seat and the gear knob are showing signs of wear and interior wind noise is very loud. Renault customer service is non existent in Australia. I'm happy but personally I would not buy another Renault in a hurry.

Renault🔝💜

I kinda like it

can you review the Kia Cerato please? thanks

J'adore le véhicule Renault.

Looks like a face lifted x-trail ☺️

koleos This is a cost-effective way to buy a new car. This is an explanation of how to remove the oil film from the car glass in 3 seconds while driving safely in the rain.

Synthetic leather, very hot in summer

Whites a basic cheap colour toddle hence why it’s cheaper then say red. Which needs multiple layers.

Once again, another fantastic review, Paul. Truth be told, I'm not a fan of the Koleos - looks and seems dated (subjectively speaking). Lacks any sense of excitement or passion. I'd rather a RAV4 or Tiguan.

Hi

there's to many weird quirks with the car and user interface controls, the media key for the driver are unnecessarily complicated and hidden from view, as noted the cruise control is illogical an could have been a stalk but not some moron made it more complicated than necessary. the LCD screen for the driver is way to small and the information and configurability is sub par and squashed together due to lack of screen space. here's an idea Renault ditch the analogue fuel and temp gauge and just use a series of LED indicators and make the screen a more spacious size so media, NAV maps (BTW navigation cannot be in front of the driver) unlike in VW group vehicles. I'd like to see gear paddles if its going to offer Tiptronic Manual mode. its not too difficult to make the driven wheels screech if you put a bit to much power through them so that comes across is a little unrefined. And interestingly the car has an Eco driving instructor in the silly infotainmeitnt software and yet the car features no Auto-start stop control when you're in heavy traffic. Renault seem to only offer that fuel saving feature for the top grade level models when the larger infotainment screen is fitted (weird!) It seems odd to me for UI/UX design for R-link is almost hoping you will use your phone as a fall back plan as its really slow, confusing and laggy to use which ill deduct even more points for this irritance .It kind of feels like a French Nissan lolz. Personally I'm not a fan of it and wouldn't want to own a Koleos.

For car 2020 interior technology somewhat dated until the c5 across 2019 has digital panel, interface and much better etc or Peugeot 3008 .

The most uncomfortable car I’ve ever been in . You seat on the seats not in them.

With the exception of Lexus I'd avoid any brand makes up less than 1% of total car sales

Beautiful car till the shit-box Jatco CVT dies around 80,000 to 100,000 kilometres and costs as much as the car is worth at the time.

If it's got the same Jatco auto trans forget it ...won't laqst 100,000 k

Stopped watching at halogen headlights Should be banned lol

Renault has made really good looking cars lately, but this looks ten years old. What happened?

The car that no one cares

Koleos has issues with rotors and breaks anywhere from 17000 kilometers, do your research.

Am I the only one that gets annoyed every time he taps or rubs something?

Nobody cares what Australians drive. Just as long as they don’t get as bad as Kiwis with the inflection at the end of a sentence. Australians suffer this, but the mutant accent of the New Zealand accent - please. BTW S not Esh UV. Let’s try that, S. Not Eshhh. Get a grip man.

no... no this thing is hideous inside and out. can never find a good looking "french" car.

French cars are absolutely rubbish and look and drive like trash after a few years, worst reliability.