Renault Koleos facelift: Which variant to buy

At the start of this month, Renault Malaysia previewed the all-new, facelifted Renault Koleos for the first time. The second generation of Renault’s popular crossover SUV is based on the brand’s Common Module Family (CMF) platform, which can be found underpinning other cars such as the Nissan X-Trail as well. All that said, the facelifted Renault Koleos has been finally launched in Malaysia by the French automaker’s sole distributor in the country - TC Euro Cars.

It isn’t a surprise that crossovers have quite literally taken over the market, and the hearts of new car buyers the world over. The facelifted Renault Koleos is only doing its bit to propagate that notion further. When it comes to the new Renault’s competitors, you could be looking at cars such as the Citroen DS7 Crossback, Peugeot 3008 Plus, and even the Kia Sorento (considering the price point). Speaking of which, let’s glance upon the dough that you would have to shell out once at the showroom for the facelifted Koleos.

2019 Renault Koleos prices:

2019 Renault Koleos	Price
Standard	RM 179,888
Signature	RM 189,888

To help boost sales of the new Koleos, Renault Malaysia is offering prospective customers trade-in offers as well. As for the car itself, the on-road price includes a 5-year/unlimited mileage manufacturer warranty and also a free service package with a validity of 5-years/100,000 kilometres.

Moreover, customers have the option of going with the so-called Renault Subscription scheme. Under this scheme, you can opt for one of two subscriptions - namely Fixed or Switch. As the name might indicate, the latter allows customers to upgrade from a Captur to something like the new Koleos SUV or even the sporty Megane RS 280 Cup at a later time.

On the other hand, one could select the ‘Fixed’ subscription, and that will allow you to acquire the Koleos for a period of one or two years - with monthly outlay starting from RM 2,299. This amount will also cover things like insurance, road tax, and servicing costs. Now before we move onto the crux of this piece, let’s quickly run over some of the other basic facts and figures of the new Renault Koleos.

In terms of color options, five different shades are available with the facelifted Renault Koleos in Malaysia -- these include Universal White, Millesime Red, Black Metallic, Ultra Silver and Amethyst Black.

2019 Renault Koleos dimensions:

Measurements	2019 Renault Koleos
Length	4,672 mm
Width	1,843 mm
Height	1,678 mm
Wheelbase	2,705 mm
Boot Capacity	542 litres

All that said, out of the two variants available, which one should you bet your hard-earned money on? Read on and find out…

The best deal

If you are the kind of buyer that wants every piece of kit that’s on offer when you buy your new car, then feel free to spend 10,000 ringgit more for the fully-loaded Signature variant. However, for most people, the Standard variant of the new Renault Koleos would be more than sufficient. So what does the latter lose over the Signature trim? Well, for the most part - there’s no panoramic sunroof, and you are stuck with 18-inch wheels instead of the larger 19s.

However, the Koleos Standard still comes as standard (pun intended) with a lot of features. Some of the most noteworthy ones include the following:

• Automatic full-LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights
• Automatic windshield wipers
• Hands-free power tailgate
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Cooled front cup holders
• Ambient LED lighting
• Power-adjustable driver’s & front passenger’s seat with power lumbar support for the driver
• Riviera leather upholstery

• 8-speaker Arkamys premium sound system
• Customisable digital instrument cluster
• 8.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, voice control, Bluetooth, plus Apple CarPlay & Android Auto.
• Cruise control
• Electronic parking brake
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Eco mode

Apart from all that, the Koleos Standard variant also gets you safety equipment such as six airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Blind Spot Warning (BSW), All-around parking sensors with a rearview camera, ISOFIX child-seat anchor points etc.

So clearly, you are not missing much by going for the Standard variant of the new Koleos. However, what about the other tangibles, such as the powertrain and performance? In Malaysia, the facelifted Renault Koleos is only available with one engine-gearbox option. Check out the table below for more info…

Engine	2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder with DOH
Transmission	X-Tronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission)
Power	169 hp at 6,000 rpm
Torque	226 Nm at 4,400 rpm
Claimed Fuel Economy	12.3 kmpl

All Renault Koleos sold in the country are front-wheel drive models, only. As for its performance, the Koleos with its 169 horsepower will take approximately 9.5 seconds to hit 100 km/h from a standstill. Meanwhile, with a touch of tailwind, you could theoretically touch a top speed of 200 km/h. However, Renault doesn’t market the new Koleos as a tarmac scorcher. So being lead-footed with this crossover may not really yield much result, after all.

However, what the facelifted Renault Koleos seems to do quite well, is look handsome while at the same time offer enough creature comforts (even in the base trim) to keep the whole family merry while on a road trip. And with the RM 10,000 that you would save by choosing the Standard variant, you could spend on the aforementioned trip. Wouldn’t that be quite nice?

Also Read: 2019 Renault Captur Trophy LE launched in Malaysia