[androdev]

Happened to see this car today. Outside it looks pretty good. But interiors do not justify 29L OTR (Bangalore).

Where it falls short of expectations:
-Dash is not impressive, reminded me of i20.
-Overall interiors lack the oomph. Didn't check the night-time ambient lighting in the cabin, but I doubt it will be any thing fancy.
-No xenons (only projector) and no sunroof
-No memory seats, no electric seats for passenger
-No passenger airbag-off option?
-Basic type horn (not the skoda-type)
-Central arm-rest too short, considering it is AT, it deserves a better arm-rest
-Only rear parking sensors with audio and no graphical display of parking sensors
-Basic i20-like info display on the dash.
-Not so great build quality - poor NVH (under the hood cheap hood liner, no rubber beadings), driver-side sun-visor was rattling on bad patches, passenger seat 'creaked' during test drive, flimsy B-pillar a/c vents, rear center arm-rest 'falls off' to seat base, too much plastic near ORVM mount
-Rear leg room is on the lower side
-IRVM is not auto-dimming. You have to tilt the angle with a mechanical lever.
-AT is not that responsive and doesn't have sports mode

Where it meets/exceeds expectations:
- Good looking and very pleasant exteriors. Looks the money.
- Full alloy spare
- Rear backrest inclination is adjustable
- Foldable rear seats and foldable front-passenger seat
- Good overall visibility for driver
- Good enough suspension to soak up bad patches
- Keyless operation
- BOSE
- usb/aux-in/bluetooth
- safety/airbags, etc.
- First 100 buyers will get 80K km + 4 yrs warranty instead of 40K km + 2 yrs std warranty
- Very good experience with sales staff and test drive

[shankar.balan]

I took the Koleos for a spin from Palace Orchards today.

A test drive of about 10 kms around that area on normal roads, in normal traffic, on a relatively empty stretch and on a slightly rough road too.

Engine and Performance:
Lovely push button start with that smart key. I really find this handy.
Super smooth powerful 2 litre Diesel. Enjoyed it.Very silent indeed, just like a petrol engine
Pretty rev happy engine overall with plenty of torque for chugging about in low gear.

Gear system:Very nice AT box
Whichever journalist said the Autobox tends to hunt between gears may not have been accurate. I did not face any problem.
On accelerating even suddenly, the vehicle simply drops a couple of gears and takes off - useful while overtaking and things like that.
When driving at extremely low speeds the torque takes you happily through.
I used the 2WD mode but mostly was on Auto mode preferring to let the vehicle's computer decide.
4WD lock we used very briefly on one stretch of road. No problems at all but that wasnt a real test because it wasnt a slushy road. Just a bit broken road with some loose surfaces.

Braking:
Braking is excellent and effective.
The ABS doesnt kick your foot back unless one brakes really hard.

Handling:
Very stable around corners.
Lovely car like handling overall.
No pitching yawing and wallowing like most SUV's - this is a dream to drive after my truck like Scorpio!
Feels very settled at slightly higher speeds too.
Doesnt get rattled over bumps and speed breakers. I guess the tyres and wheels sizes help.
The high ground clearance of 205-206mm is great - one has complete confidence driving over the badly designed speed bumps of Bangalore.
The skid plates in front and rear are a nice touch as is the underbody protection offered.

Ergonomics, Comfort, Interiors, Fit and Finish:
Suffice it to say that it is absolutely first class. A pleasure to sit in.
Easy Ingress and Egress for a tall person like me (6ft 2 inches).
No bending bowing and scraping required.
Very nice driving position.
Dead pedal is very nicely placed and very comfy to use.
Good lumbar support
Excellent under-thigh support
Easy to read dials and comfortably placed switches etc
Dual zone climatronic setup is very nice
Bose Music system sounds very nice indeed, but since I was listening to radio for a bit it may not be the best way to judge the quality.
Nice little cubbyholes here and there. Centre storage very good.
Glovebox storage also very good.
Rear seat is impossibly cramped for one like myself especially if another one like myself is driving and pushes the driving seat right back.
The rear seat tables are good.
All the materials used feel very good and of a premium quality
Fit, finish and finesse is very high indeed.
Decent centre arm rest at the rear and at the front.

Interiors,Utility and other:
This vehicle passed my lateral golf bag test with plenty of space left over for luggage.
It would be very nice for a well off young urban yuppy type couple for their holidays along with their luggage.
It would be equally lovely for a couple with their 2 kids and their luggage.
I like the split tailgate and the roller retractable luggage bay cover/ tray
The beige fabric carpet might get dirty
The plastic seat backs are good and easy to keep clean.
I love the lower tailgate with its lower loading lip - very easy to load heavy suitcases etc
Also the fact that it can handle all of 200Kg load is a plus - I sat on the lower tail gate when it was open. Feels perfectly solid. (I dont weigh 200 kg but Im glad that it has that load bearing capacity)
Very useful for surfers and beach type people or picnics and camping.

Looks and appearance:
Looks quite bland overall. No real presence per se. Why I say this is because the SUV buyer in India wants road presence and a sort of “might is right” kind of appearance.
To me it looks nice and anonymous – I like this vehicle because it is not likely to attract loads of attention when one is driving about in it. It does look a bit like a cross between a Tucson and a Santa Fe. It doesn’t have that touch of French panache to be truthful. Like the Renault Megane etc – those cars have a certain something about them that the Koleos kind of lacks.

Showroom, Staff etc:
Pleasantly surprised by the people there - they are nice, quite knowledgeable and smart too. A sea of difference between the call centre/ email help desk experience and this particular showroom experience. Nice and clean showroom. Well maintained. Good housekeeping standard and neat and tidy. Hope this continues because once it gets busier, then standards generally tend to fall.

Some other points:
Wish they had offered different coloured interiors for those who are not smitten by the typical Indian "beige madness".
While the colours are light and airy, they will take a lot of beating in the dry, dusty and dirty conditions here.
I am personally not too pleased that the Bose subwoofer and other kit is sitting about where the spare wheel is. Spare wheels get dirty and I wouldn’t want my nice Bose stuff getting greasy and dusty because of my spare tyre!

Summing Up:
Basically I think they've done a very good job bringing this vehicle into India. But I wish they had not priced it so high.
They could have dumped/ deleted some of the expensive kit inside – the BOSE stuff frankly was not absolutely necessary.
Or maybe they should have launched 2 -3 versions and enabled greater consumer choice.
The choice of colours is very limited – Black, Silver and White! – They could have come in with a couple more bright colours because typically, Indians love bright blingy colours.
Despite the Renault badging, anyone in the know would realize easily that it is essentially the same as the Samsung QM7.
The pricing is way too high for what is essentially a re-badged Korean.
It is only here in India that vehicles which are considered regular utility vehicles anywhere else in the world, become luxury wagons for the posers amongst us!

Now for the Duster:
I sincerely hope they bring the Duster in quickly as a perfect foil to the Koleos, with similar safety features, utility stuff, good level of kit etc, but at a much more acceptable price level. This way they will have a presence in 2 segments. If they launch the Euro Spec Duster at 13-14 Lacs on road Bangalore, it will become a cult vehicle instantaneously. The chaps at the shop say the Duster is expected in March 2012. Worth waiting I think, if this is indeed true.

Thats it for the moment.

[Aroy]

The pricing seems to be skewed. In my opinion, it would pay dividends to them, if all new manufacturer's do a thorough market survey and identify the target audience. There is no use bringing in CBU and SKD and then blaming the cost on duties. No one really cares how much duty is paid. All that they are bothered about is how much they have to pay.

Let us see what numbers they manage. At the current price it will be difficult to sell even a 1,000 pieces in a year, even the Pajero with its dated equipment manages to sell more. These numbers may be good for a Ferrari, but dismal for others.

I think it will take a long time to beat the Fortuner numbers, some people just don't learn.

[GTO]

Shankar, thanks for sharing! Your review post has been moved to a new thread.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Super smooth powerful 2 litre Diesel. Enjoyed it.Very silent indeed, just like a petrol engine
Pretty rev happy engine overall with plenty of torque for chugging about in low gear.

It's a jewel. Same as the one in the X-Trail.

I don't see the Koleos as a market success though. The brand's low awareness, quirky looks & pricing will work against it.

[shankar.balan]

thank you GTO

Nor do I see this as a market shaker mainly on account of the super high pricing.
This vehicle,3 years down the line will be a worthwhile buy in the used market at around 16 lacs or so.
Thing is to find one which has been bought and used by a trustworthy person.

Originally Posted by GTO

Shankar, thanks for sharing! Your review post has been moved to a new thread.



It's a jewel. Same as the one in the X-Trail.

I don't see the Koleos as a market success though. The brand's low awareness, quirky looks & pricing will work against it.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

thank you GTO

Nor do I see this as a market shaker mainly on account of the super high pricing.
This vehicle,3 years down the line will be a worthwhile buy in the used market at around 16 lacs or so.
Thing is to find one which has been bought and used by a trustworthy person.

After 3 years a used Yeti will be a much better buy, especially if it is available in the 10-12L bracket. With 3 year old Fortuners in the range of 14-16L, Koleos will have a limited demand at 16L.

[shankar.balan]

possibly you're right but look at the latest autocar and see the slew of launches planned in 2012.
this will cause the prices in the used market to fall quite nicely I think. On account of the sudden choices that will become available to the public!

Originally Posted by Aroy

After 3 years a used Yeti will be a much better buy, especially if it is available in the 10-12L bracket. With 3 year old Fortuners in the range of 14-16L, Koleos will have a limited demand at 16L.

[subodh]

i wouldagree with shankar. The vehicle feels very nicely built. The quality of materials used and fit and finish are also very nice. The back seat although very cramped is very comfy to sit on with right support and inclination angle for back. Legs also get good space to streach. The only grouse being that the front seat comes pretty close to person in rear. Also the tray table feels very solid and nice a nice feel to it.

The pricing is very high i agree and they would have had me as their customer if it was priced 5 to 7 lakh cheaper as i am in market for vehicle in that segment.

[aravind.anand]

I checked out the Koleos in person only yesterday, and I quite liked the looks of the car.But somehow the interiors din't look up market. Can't complain about the quality though. Seats were very supportive and nice. Overall a good car, but I won't pay so much for this. The side view of the front of the car however reminds me of a chimpanzee/Gorilla's nose. I have told this before and I still keep getting reminded of that!

[Raosaheb Desai]

@ Shankar,
Engine, as described by you is same as X Trail and I love the autobox mated to this gem of the engine.
Its real fatigue free driving, whether it is city or highway.

[mpksuhas]

Saw news that Renault is going to hike price of Koleos by a lakh!! Renault India to hike Koleos's Price| Zigwheels.com

[drmohitg]

Well at a time when the rupee is having a free fall, I was thinking that car prices should come down specially for the CBU ones. Renault has finally decided it doesn't want to stick around for long in India I guess. Good for them.

[avishar]

Finally saw a Koleos on road yesterday.

[shankar.balan]

This is an unrealistic view if you don't mind my saying so! In the current rupee free fall scenario, the prices of CBU's will only go up and not down!

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Well at a time when the rupee is having a free fall, I was thinking that car prices should come down specially for the CBU ones. Renault has finally decided it doesn't want to stick around for long in India I guess. Good for them.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

This is an unrealistic view if you don't mind my saying so! In the current rupee free fall scenario, the prices of CBU's will only go up and not down!

Is it? My understanding was that the company will be getting more rupee for the same amount of dollars that the car costed them. But then economics is not really my stronghold.