Renault Koleos (2008 – 2010) Review

Renault Koleos (2008 – 2010) At A Glance

Friendly looking and vary capable SUV that combines features of a good SUV with benefits of a decent MPV. Smooth revving chain cam diesel. Good ride.

Higher CO2 than CR-V and Kuga.

Real MPG average for a Renault Koleos (2008 – 2010)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

Satisfaction Index

Reviews for Renault Koleos (2008 – 2010)'s top 3 rivals

Peugeot 4007

Terrific 2.2 diesel engine, excellent handling and decent off-road ability. Well equipped.

Citroen C-Crosser

Excellent handling. Reasonable 2.2 turbo diesel. Respectable off-road ability. Well equipped.

Chevrolet Captiva

Well equipped as standard. Seats seven reasonably comfortably. Quiet when cruising. Decent diesel engine....

Ask Honest John

Do I need to change the timing chain on my Renault Koleos?

"I recently bought a 2009 Renault Koleos with 12,0000 miles. Now it has a timing chain and every local garage I've spoken to state they are not a serviceable item, and none of them had ever changed one. Do they ever need changing?"

The timing chain is designed to last the lifetime of the car. And as long as you keep the oil clean with a yearly change, that should be the case. It is possible for the chain to stretch or become worn over time. I'd suggest getting it checked during the annual service, just to be safe.

Answered by Dan Powell

There are problems with a car I have put a deposit on - what should I do?

"Having laid down a £100 deposit on a 2009 Renault Koleos it subsequently failed the MoT on rear suspension arms. The garage owner says he is struggling to get decent parts. This was six weeks ago so I went to see him and he said he tried fitting aftermarket rear suspension arms but when the mechanic tried fitting the bushes, the arms bent. I believe he's talking codswallop and trying to fob me off to give me the deposit back so to increase the price of the car. It's only £1,895 and a lot of car for the money. "

Either there is a genuine shortage of parts or the dealer is being dishonest. Either way, I'd suggest getting your deposit back and finding another car for sale.

Answered by Dan Powell

My car is showing a 'check exhaust emission' light - what should I do?

"I have a 2008 Renault Koleos 2.0d. In the past two weeks I've done four journeys in excess of 50 miles at high speed (dual carriageway). A couple of days ago, a warning appeared saying "check exhaust emission" with the engine symbol and spanner symbol lit up and the vehicle had very little power. This morning I did a very short journey and when I restarted the car the only warning was the engine symbol being lit up. I did about 40 miles at high speed and the car performed normally but the engine symbol remained lit up. I got home, switched off and switched back on and the "check exhaust emission" warning came back on as did the engine symbol and spanner symbol. The car has done approx 75,000 miles with a mix of short/medium journeys and some longer trips. Have you any thoughts on what my next move should be?"

I'd guess that the DPF is finally filling up with ash, which impedes its ability to regenerate as much soot. If I'm right, one solution is to send the DPF away to Ceramex to be chemically cleaned, which costs £300 - £400. The more expensive solution is a new DPF.

Answered by Honest John

Buying a Renault Koleos - what should I check?

"I am interested in buying a 2008 Koleos 4x4 manual with 39,000 miles, price £5650. Are there any particularly good/bad points on this vehicle, things to watch for etc. What is your opinion on this vehicle?"

We tested it in Morocco in 2008: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-koleos-2008-road-test// Not a lot of feeback in carbycar: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/renault/koleos-2008/ It was much more popular in France where you still see quite a few.

Answered by Honest John

More Questions

Inside of the Renault Koleos (2008 – 2010)

• Boot space is 450–1380 litres

There are cubbies everywhere, even in the floor, like a Renault Scenic's, and the deep cubby under the centre armrest lifts out like a bucket, so you can tip things out and clean it.

It's very quiet inside because engine noise is heavily insulated from the cabin. Rear seat passengers get their own individually controlled heating and air-conditioning vents, built into the door pillars. The hazard warning button is huge, triangular-shaped and right in the middle of the dash. The steering wheel adjusts up and down and in and out. Both front windows are one-touch. The front passenger seat back folds down forwards, becoming a table or allowing you to carry planks of wood up to 2.6 metres (8' 6") long. There's a fold down panoramic mirror for keeping an eye on kids in the back seat. It has huge disc brakes, capable of stopping the car from 62.5mph in 40 metres. And there is already an established range of dealer fit extras, such as towbar, bike rack, even a tent.

Child seats that fit a Renault Koleos (2008 – 2010)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Driving Renault Koleos (2008 – 2010)

• Engines range from dCi 150 2WD to dCi 175 4WD
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 33–49 mpg

The only engines fitted are chain-cam diesels. No timing belts to snap. And new technology. The base engine is 191g/km CO2, the more powerful 175 is 209g/km and even the automatic is 221g/km. Usefully under 226g/km where VED will jump to £415 next year. Fuel economy claims aren't exaggerated, ranging from 39mpg for the standard engine with manual gears down to 34mpg for the automatic. So you probably won't be disappointed like many Freelander II diesel automatic owners have been.

Designed by Renault, Developed by Nissan and built by Samsung in Busan, South Korea, Project H45 (which became the Koleos) has a lot of other thoughtful features.

Driving pre-production cars it's all too easy to get a bad one and base all your findings on that. So it was fortunate this launch was split into two days with two identical spec but different cars, giving us two chances to get a representative example.

The good one was very good indeed. Sweet, free-revving, reasonably powerful diesel engine, though not a slugger. The engine gives 150Nm torque at 1,000rpm, 300Nm at 1,500rpm, but doesn't deliver its peak of 360Nm until 2,000rpm. However, on a long straight we saw 210kmh on the clock, which is 130mph and 13mph over its official top speed. Impressively, it felt very stable at that speed, whatever it really was.

Grip, roadholding and handling are very good for an SUV. It's only prone to lift-off understeer if you go into a corner too fast and, instead of balancing the car with more power, you lift off. Give it more beans on the apex and as long as you're not doing really silly speeds, it tucks in nicely. The ride on rough Moroccan tracks was outstanding. As good as a Hyundai Santa Fe's.

The 6-speed gearbox shifts reasonably precisely. It's not a sweet shift, but it's fine. Off road it's every bit as capable as an X-Trail, which is high praise in this sector, only likely to be beaten by a Freelander II, and that's arguable.

It's attractive, deliberately styled to be unaggressive, which has to be applauded. From the front it actually looks like a Clio on stilts, which isn't going to threaten or intimidate anyone.

And, if the furthest off road you're ever likely to venture off road is up a kerb, you can save yourself £1,000 and about 1 mile per gallon by opting for the two-wheel drive version. That will serenely shrug off stupid speed humps and potholes and look the part without dragging along unnecessary driveshafts.

The market for D sector cars (Mondeo size hatchbacks) has been declining in Europe for 10 years. Yet, however politicians may protest, the market for niche SUVs has been steadily increasing. (And guess what just happened to one of those politicians?)

Renault Koleos (2008 – 2010) Models and Specs

On sale until November 2010

On sale until May 2009

What to watch out for

Model History

• March 2008: Koleos launched
• May 2009