Renault Koleos facelift launch in second week of January

Renault is planning to launch the facelifted Koleos in the second week of January. Unlike the outgoing car that was available only as a 4x4 automatic, the updated Koleos will also have 4x2 and 4x4 6-speed manual variants in addition to the 4x4 automatic. 

Dealerships will receive the car around 10th January but the dealers we spoke to cannot confirm the variant that will be available for test drives yet. We hear that ex-showroom prices will start from Rs 24 lakh for the 4x2 variant and the top end 4x4 Automatic variant will cost close to Rs 35 lakh on-road.

The facelifted Koleos gets minor refreshes like the new family grille with the large Renault Lozenge, new alloy wheels and a chrome plate running along the door sills. 

Powering the Koleos is the same 2.0-litre dCi motor from before. The SUV now develops 150 PS of power in the 4x2 variant and an extra 23 PS in the 4x4 variants according to Renault dealers. The Koleos has always been a good handling SUV that seems made for the highway so this added grunt will definitely help its cause. 

Since its launch in 2011, the Koleos has failed to make a mark on Indian car buyers because of its understated less-imposing styling that’s a must-have for an SUV, its steep price and the presence of more established SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner. The Renault brand also wasn’t as established then. But things have changed now after the success of the Duster and Renault must be hoping a bit of it to rub off on the Koleos too. With the 4x2 manual’s price expected to start from Rs 24 lakh (as much as the outgoing Automatic’s cost) though, it’s going to be a tough challenge to make the Koleos a success.