The Renault Koleos has serious va-va-voom

Buoyed by the success of the highly-popular Duster, Renault is now offering another value-for-money option for SUV-mad South Africans.

By re-introducing the Renault Koleos at the top of their SUV tree, the French manufacturer is hoping to snatch more market share away from its competitors.

And after initially deciding against offering the 2016-launched second-generation Koleos to South Africa, Renault is bringing back the model … with a bang.

Not only does the all-new Koleos boast a competitive price at Group 1 Renault, but it’s also very spacious, comfortable, well-specced and capable off-road too.

To keep the price down, Renault SA has only introduced one engine option, a 2.5-litre CVT with a power output of 126kW and 233Nm of torque.

There will be two Renault Koleos trim options available, Expression and Dynamique, with a 4×4 model topping the range.

According to Wayne van der Merwe, Renault SA’s senior product manager, a diesel engine and other transmission options would not have been financially viable.

“To be able to offer a 4×4 at under R500 000 is a great achievement for us,” says Van der Merwe.
“The new Koleos is a big car that displays social positioning of the driver. Rounded off by the double exhaust design at the back, it’s an expression of power.”

Looks are certainly something the Koleos gets right. Upfront, the eye-catching C-shaped Daytime Running Lights extends beyond the headlight units themselves to create an even more forceful gaze and at the back, the wide horizontal tail lights amplify the impression of width and draw attention to the centrally-positioned Renault diamond.

A very stylish interior features creature comforts like customisable LED cabin lighting to complement the mood of the driver and/ or passengers, front cup holders that can be chilled or heated and a sliding centre console for the ideal driving position.

In addition to having one of the longest wheelbases in its class, the Koleos’ wheelbase of 2 710mm and overall length of 4 670mm frees up record roominess for all occupants.

Rear passengers benefit from class-topping knee room (289mm) while there is also 464 litres of space in the boot which can grow to an impressive 1 795 litres with the rear seats folded down. Boasting a Euro NCAP five-star rating, all Koleos models come standard with brakes assisted by ABS, EBD, EBA, ESP, ASR and HAS, cornering fog lights, electrochromic rear-view mirror, blind-spot warning and park assist.

Driving the Koleos through torrential rain on the N4 towards Rustenburg was a pleasant experience as the car handled itself extremely well on the road while being equally impressive on wet gravel and dirt roads around Muldersdrift and Magaliesburg.

Although I’d be careful pushing it through technical terrain all out 4x4s are comfortable on, the car boasts an impressive ground clearance of 210mm and is definitely a cut above a mere “soft-roader”.
The 4×4 model features three driving modes, two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive automatic and wheel-drive lock.

In the latter, available torque is equally between the front and rear axles (50/50) when the vehicle travels below speeds of 40km/h.

The new Koleos comes standard with a fiveyear/150 000km mechanical warranty; plus a five-year/90 000km service plan and a six-year anti-corrosion warranty, with service intervals at 15 000km.
Anybody shopping around in the D segment would be foolish not to at least give the Koleos a good look in.

In Latin, Koleos means “testicle” and this offering surely possesses a pair of those.

Article from Bonjour Renault.

2020 Renault Clio is all grown up

When it debuted 30 years ago Renault Clio was marketed with a cheeky, slightly risqué charm – now it’s back for its fifth generation, all grown up.  

The Renault Clio is 30 years old. As one of the better-known small car model names at Group 1 Renault, the Clio has evolved with the times, from ultra-lightweight supermini through to the chunky, solidly engineered small family car it is today. The new design was unveiled at the start of 2019 and has now been rolled out around the world’s markets.

The Clio is a major player, the third best-selling car in Europe, holding back the horde of SUVs together with VW’s Golf and Polo. Right now, however, traditional carmakers are arriving at a fork in the road - should they venture into electrification with an entirely new model or is it better to transform a decades-old brand name into an EV? The most common strategy is to hedge one’s bets. Without the clean slate approach open to Tesla and its ilk, existing manufacturers have to deal with long model cycles, entrenched brand equity and cautious customers. BMW invested big with its ‘i’ sub-brand, only to appear to pull back from the commitment and choosing the path of electrifying existing models. As a result, it’s taken eight whole years to advance from the i3 to the forthcoming BMW i4.

Renault also runs a mix and match strategy, blending hybrid models, pure EVs (the acclaimed ZOE, the eclectic two-seater TWIZY and a pair of commercial EVs for business use) with conventionally powered cars, including a number of diesels. For now, the Clio is in the latter category, a classic example of the motor industry’s slow but steady technological evolution. Compare the new car to the original Clio that proved so desirable three decades ago, and it practically resembles a luxury vehicle, with a level of fixtures and fittings that were simply unavailable in the spartan, plastic-clad 1990s. 

But everything is bigger these days. Clio Mark Five has grown in size as well as ambition. It has a big badge and the image of the Clio as a cheeky, compact upstart has all but evaporated, even though this new car is still good fun to drive and own. It handles deftly and is still well within the realms of compact, and the on-board equipment works without feeling fussy or intrusive. 

The next-gen Clio will almost certainly have an electric option as Renault applies its EV experience to more and more models. The company is also rolling out a new style ‘Renault City’ concept store in Europe, hoping to create an Apple Store-style physical connection with its buying public. Recent concepts have highlighted a proposed shift to autonomous driving, focusing on a strong connection between mobility and architecture. In amongst all this massive change, the Clio feels a bit like a blast from the past, a traditional car in a rapidly evolving industry. Renault would be crazy not to let the Clio name live on and evolve for a more electrified world. It’s a personable car with a hard-won allure, something that is increasingly hard to create from scratch. 

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Article from https://www.wallpaper.com/transport/renault-clio-30-years-old-back-and-all-grown-up