At this stage there is hardly any need to define what is meant by a crossover - the chances are there is one right next to you in the car park or on the road. Just in case though: they are cars that have the look of a four wheel drive and the practicality of a car. The crossover is now piling the pressure on traditional cars such as the Ford Mondeo and the Opel Insignia. In Europe, the sales of Mondeo have fallen by 21 per cent in the last year and those for Inisignia by 26 per cent. Even the Volkswagen Passat and the Skoda Superb - both market leaders - are losing ground. Four doors and a boot just don't seem to cut the mustard anymore.
The Koleos has an impressive array of standard equipment.
The latest challenger to the traditional car comes in the form of the Renault Koleos - a car that is better equipped than most and does'nt even have an entry-level version. Standard features include anti-lock brakes, stability control, traction and understeer control, cruise control, a speed limiter, hill start assist, six airbags, and ISOFIX child seat anchor points, automatic braking, lane departure assist and blind spot detection on the wing mirror and front and rear cameras and sensors. It's an impressive list for a car with a starting price of €34,490. It's not exactly cheap but then it is chasing a slightly different part of the market.
There are, of course, some extras. These include partial leather seats at €400 on the Signature version and a Bose 13-speaker system at €800.
What the Koleos does not have is seven seats, Renault having opted to go for a five seat layout that gives generous space front and rear. The decision to limit seats to five may have something to do with the fact that Nissan (part of the same alliance as Renault) already has that market catered for with the seven-seat X-Trail.
With the five-seat layout the Koleos will offer quite an alternative choice to the more standard design option of a saloon car. Not everyone who might migrate from a saloon will want seven seats.
The interior is smart and the 8.7" screen we have seen on other Renault models is a central feature.
The Koleos looks well and has a rather fluid design profile that gives it a look of strength rather than just an off-road knock off. It does have a four wheel drive option but that is offered on the 2.0 litre version. The most interest on the Irish market is likely to be in the 1.6 diesel with 130 horse power.
