Diesel power added to Renault Koleos SUV range

RENAULT has added diesel power to its all-petrol second-generation Koleos mid-size SUV range, with the new variant to sit atop the line-up when it arrives in September from $46,990 plus on-roads.

The new variant employs a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit capable of producing 130kW of power and 380Nm of torque, comfortably eclipsing the 126kW/226Nm output of its petrol-powered siblings.

Like the petrol variants, the Koleos diesel is paired to an Xtronic continuously-variable transmission (CVT), while power is sent to all four wheels.

Fuel economy for the new donk, which is shared with the recently updated Nissan X-Trail, is rated at 6.1 litres per 100km, while CO2 emissions stand at 159 grams per kilometre.

Specification for the oil-burner matches that of the top-spec petrol Intens, which includes a suite of driver assistance systems including blind spot monitor, forward collision warning, lane departure warning and inter-urban autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

Other features shared with the $43,490 Intens includes hands-free parking, LED headlights with auto high/low beam, power tailgate, panoramic sunroof, 12-speaker Bose audio system, leather upholstery with heated/ventilated front seats, ambient cabin lighting and automatic engine stop/start, but does not feature remote engine start.

Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar said the addition of a diesel variant to the Koleos line-up would help grow the second-generation range in Australia.

“The Koleos has always been our top-selling model in Australia,” he said. “And with the arrival of a diesel engine to complete the line-up, there’s no question that Koleos will continue to go from strength to strength.

“The second-generation Koleos launched here in August 2016, which was its global sales debut, demonstrating how important this model is in the continued expansion of Renault’s business in Australia.”To the end of July, Renault has sold 1741 examples of the Koleos, a massive 211.4 per cent increase over the 559 it managed to the same point last year, just prior to the arrival of the all-new model.

It still trails sales behemoths in the ultra-competitive mid-size SUV segment including the Mazda CX-5 with 15,229 sales, the Hyundai Tucson (14,555), the Toyota RAV4 (12,547) and mechanically-related Nissan X-Trail (11,350).