Renault Koleos : ROUGH and READY

Can Renault's Koleos 4x4 make family sense? June Neary decidesâ€¦

`Renault' and `4x4' aren't two words you traditionally associate with each other. The French marquee hopes that's about to change, courtesy of its latest Koleos model. True, the brand doesn't really have much heritage when it comes to off road products but it has done reasonably well with all-wheel drive versions of its Scenic mini-MPV over the years and, more importantly, it shares ownership with a brand very much connected with 4x4 folklore: Nissan. So it is that with have a Renault-ised version of Nissan's X-TRAIL to further saturate the already teaming market for compact 4x4s popularised by cars like Land Rover's Freelander, Honda's CR-V and Toyota's RAV4. It's become fashionable to look down your nose at cars like these in recent years but it's school mothers like me who have mainly been responsible for driving their sales forward - and I can see why. Forget all the environmental impact rubbish: these cars put out hardly any more CO2 into the atmosphere than a comparable family saloon or hatch, nor do they use much more fuel. In return for a relatively small premium over the aforementioned boring family car, you get a much more exciting vehicle that sits you higher up, is more versatile, easier to re-sell and offers that tantalise possibility that if you ever did want to go off road, then it would be up for the trip. Now, the only issue is whether the Koleos can really cut the mustard in its over-crowded market and appeal to buyers like me who love the idea of what these cars can do. First impressions were promising. To be honest, I'm not really a fan of the square-set looks of this car's Nissan X-TRAIL stablemate. The sleeker lines of the Koleos suit me much better, as they will I think most potential buyers.

This probably won't be the most visually striking `soft-roader' you'll encounter. Its stubby overhangs couples with bulging flanks and the angled rear windscreen make it inconspicuous and slightly chubby from certain angles. So OK, it's not as purposeful or aggressive as the sector's best lookers. For me, as I've already suggested, that would be a plus point. I don't want or need to stand out in the supermarket carpark with Jeep-like looks, bog chunky tyres, bull bars or any of that kind of stuff. I'll leave that to the green laners. Inside, it's very, very car-like, cleanly-designed and excellently constructed. Materials are first class, the fit and finish even better. Plus the Koleos is practical too. At the rear, the tailgate opens in two sections. The hatch lifts up so items can be quickly lowered in if space is tight, then the lower section can be dropped down to give improved access. This forms a handy shelf that can sit two people or objects totalling 200kg (like my dog) and allows bulky items to be slid inside. The rear seating can be folded down from the boot so luggage capacity can be extended without the need to open the rear side doors. It's a simple operation that boosts the available volume from a generous 450 litres to 1,380 litres. There are some really clever and usefully-proportioned storage compartments in the cabin too and while the driver's seat base was tilted forward too much for my taste, I did find it comfortable and thought that forward visibility was first rate. I was also pleased to find when extricating myself from a tight spot in the corner of my local Tesco carpark that the stubby extremities of the Koleos also make for a nifty 11.6m turning circle.

Should you go offroading in this car? Well I didn't: after all, there's no low range gearbox or locking centre differential, the kit that any serious off-roader would need. Still, this Renault's 4x4 system is Nissan's All Mode 4x4-i system and i, we're told, stands for intelligent. Further inclusions run to a hill decent control system and hill start assist, plus Renault says those brave enough to take on the rough stuff will benefit from some of the best ramp and departure angles in the class. On rough tracks, I thought the suspension to be extremely good at absorbing the hits that vehicles being driven away from the public highway inevitably take. The sort that result in horrendous crashing and groaning noises in vehicles less elegantly sprung than the Koleos. First gear on the standard six-speed gearbox is a little too tall for accurately controlling your speed off-tarmac and the six-speed auto that's available with the smaller engine might be worth considering for this reason. The punchy diesel engine in the Koleos is reasonably good on grounds of economy. The dCi 150 unit makes 38mpg on the combined cycle with emissions of 191g/km.

Koleos buyers will need around £23,000 to get their name on the registration document of the single Dynamique S dCi 150 4x4 model now on offer. That sounds a lot but it's competitive against leading rivals when the Renault's specification is taken into account. You get climate control, Renault's hands free key card, electrically heated and folding door mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, roof rails and automatic lights and wipers. Additional equipment includes a BOSE sound system that includes a digital amplifier, seven loudspeakers and a sub-woofer, a six-CD/MP3-compatabile multi-changer, 3D Satellite Navigation with a 16/9, seven-inch screen and DVD atlas, a hands-free Bluetooth telephone link and metallic paint. You'd need to spend around £3,000 more to get a comparably-specced Volkswagen Tiguan.

If I were to buy a compact 4x4 of this type, I'm struggling to think of one I'd rather live with taking everything into account. I don't need the off road ability of a Land Rover Freelander and while I'm tempted by RAV4s and CR-Vs, I'm definitely not tempted by their £20,000-upwards asking prices. If you're buying a car of this kind, then the word `Renault' probably isn't on your shopping list: maybe it should be.