New Renault Koleos comes in at $29,990

RENAULT has priced its all-important new-generation Koleos mid-size SUV from $29,990 plus on-road costs and announced an on-sale date of August 1, making Australia the first market in the world to launch the vehicle.

Built in South Korea by Renault-Samsung – as is the case now – the fully redesigned Koleos is bigger, more technically advanced and will be fitted standard in Australia with a 2.5-litre petrol engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Full pricing and specifications are still to be released, but the powertrain arrangement at launch is now confirmed as being similar to the current model – albeit without a (six-speed) manual transmission option at the entry level.

Now in runout from $29,990 – with driveaway pricing and automatic gearbox at no added cost – the current Koleos uses a 126kW/226Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with a CVT on all variants other than the base Expression.

This is the same combination used by the Nissan X-Trail which is built on the same ‘Common Module Family’ (CMF) C/D platform as the Koleos and other models such as the smaller Renault Kadjar and Nissan Qashqai crossovers.

A 127kW/360Nm 2.0-litre diesel engine is also available on the current Koleos (priced from $38,500), combining with a conventional torque-converter six-speed automatic as standard.

Both petrol and diesel automatic models currently offer the choice of a 4x2 or 4x4 driveline. This is all but confirmed to continue with the new Koleos, but there is no word yet on whether diesel power – specifically, the 96kW/320Nm 1.6-litre oil-burner used in the X-Trail – will be added to the mix at, or soon after, launch.

Ditto for the 106kW/200Nm 2.0-litre petrol and six-speed manual combination in the X-Trail, which allows Nissan Australia to open up pricing from $27,990.

The Koleos’ sub-$30,000 starting price keeps the promise made in April by Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar, who told GoAuto in an exclusive interview that the company would maintain its current price point at the entry level in a bid to maximise its potential in the ultra-competitive segment.

“We see an opportunity to grow off the back of Koleos,” he said. “We have taken that decision to focus on one model and therefore I think you will see a level of pricing and specification that is competitive and relative to those competitors that we are focusing on at the moment.

“We won’t be repositioning this car higher up in the market, in short. I think that it will become immediately apparent to customers that on size, specification and price, we have got a really attractive offering.

“If the design is going to appeal to the heart, the stuff that is going to appeal to head is the five-year warranty, capped-price servicing, improved values…”Renault Australia marketing director Jason Miller echoed Mr Hocevar’s sentiments this week, highlighting the new model’s “powerful design, SUV credentials and interior refinement”.

“The all-new Koleos will hit Renault showrooms on August 1,” he said.

“Australia is the first market in the world to launch the new Koleos, demonstrating how important this model is in the continued expansion of Renault’s business in Australia.

“The new Koleos delivers on so many levels. It’s bigger both inside and out, is one of the roomiest medium SUVs in its class and enjoys a range of new technologies that provide convenience and peace of mind.”Koleos sales are down 40.7 per cent this year after the first six months of trading, the 528 units representing just 0.8 per cent of the market segment and placing it near the bottom of the table that has more than a dozen direct rivals.

By comparison, Nissan has shifted 9426 X-Trails, Toyota 9728 RAV4s and Mazda 12,593 examples of its market-leading CX-5.