Renault Koleos

By Ben Barry

Motor Shows

28 September 2006 01:37

The lowdown

Renault boss Carlos Ghosn today unveiled the latest fruits of the Renault/Nissan alliance at the Paris Motor Show: the Renault Koleos concept, the French firm’s first steps into soft-roader territory. Despite being a concept, the Koleos closely mirrors the production car. The Koleos is an incredibly important vehicle for Renault, taking it into the crossover 4x4 market, and being a key player in La Regie’s bid to release 26 cars by 2009 – ‘to rejuvenate, extend and revitalize our product range,’ according to Ghosn.

The Koleos was penned by Renault designers working in collaboration with the Renault Samsung Motors Design Centre in Korea. That explains why the Koleos will first go on sale in Korea wearing a Samsung badge. For a Renault, the Koleos looks handsome but conservative, far less eye-catching that the company’s volume models. Yes, the concept gets LED headlights, wacky mirrors and a glazed roof, but the body holds few surprises. It is nicely sculpted, though.

By Ben Barry