Renault Koleos Zen 2016 new SUV review

While the previous Koleos was nice to drive and very well specified, the curvy styling by former Renault chief designer Patrick Le Quement wasn't to everyone's taste.

The Black Bose Editions were certainly the most handsome of the previous breed of Koleos. All that has changed under Renault head of design Laurens van den Acker - the previously ugly duckling is now a lot more like a beautiful swan.

van den Acker is stamping a more general European look on Renault vehicle design to give it greater global appeal, rather than the French brands past quirky touches. 

The new Koleos presents a more upright and boxier stance than its predecessor, and while the giant Renault diamond takes pride of place smack bang in the middle of the radiator grille, there are certainly Audi-like design touches around the rear flanks and through the glasshouse.

The Koleos proves that car manufacturing is now truly a global affair, being a French brand manufactured in Korea underpinned by Japanese technology. In Korea, it's named the Renault Samsung QM6; while the previous Koleos generation was called QM5 locally. Renault Samsung also markets a Korean version of the Renault Captur under the name QM3.

Inside the cabin both the Zen (as reviewed) and the Intens receive leather upholstery, climate controlled air conditioning, and a 7 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen which drives the infotainment system, that Renault calls R-Link 2, which also offers voice activation.

Both of the Koleos models roll on 18-inch alloy wheels, being Taranis rims for the Zen and Argonaut rims for the Intens.

The Zen offers brushed silver and satin chrome highlights on the doors, dashboard, and around the transmission tunnel which nicely breaks up the dark gray trim, making the interior feel a little less sombre.

Other standard features on the Zen include heated front seats, automatic locking, LED daytime running lights, front, and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, and Keyless entry and engine start/stop with the smart key.

Further specification includes navigation, rear privacy glass, one-touch folding rear seats, roof rails, shark fin antenna, and an electrically adjustable driver's seat with electric lumbar support.

This gearshift simulation also allows you to downshift in the same manner as a traditional automatic for engine braking when descending a steep incline; it is a useful feature and it does work well in practice.

Day to day, the Koleos Zen is a very pleasant driving companion, offering a quiet and refined drive, a very comfortable ride quality over rougher New Zealand road surfaces, and loads of legroom and space for rear seat occupants. 

On the motorway at 100km/h plus, there is some wind noise around the top of the windscreen, but overall noise, vibration, and harshness is very muted, and it's easy to converse with other people in the cabin or enjoy the quality audio system.

There are 458 litres of boot space in the Koleos, and the flat-folding rear seat backs have a one-touch folding mechanism to accommodate longer items more quickly.

We travelled around 300km in the Koleos Zen, and our best average fuel consumption was 9L/100km, which isn't far from the combined figure of 8.1L/100km quoted by Renault.

But, there is a but, and did I get caught out by it! Provided you have the credit card-size smart key in your pocket or handbag, all you need to do is turn the car off, exit and moments later the security system with the Koleos will chirp loudly, the headlights will flash, and the car will lock itself.

However, don't be in a rush as I was one day - I exited the Koleos in a hurry to grab a parking ticket from the nearest machine, but mistakenly left the engine running and the indicator on, flashing the right turn signal. The Koleos naturally locked itself and when I returned, it assumed I was a burglar and wouldn't unlock to let me back in. 

No amount of pressing the button on the door or the button on the smart key would unlock the car. The solution was sliding the cover off the smart key and using the emergency key inside to unlock the Koleos using the keyhole in the offside front passenger door.