Photo: Gabriel Brindusescu for autoevolution
Lat week, Renault got everybody's attention with the Kadjar, a new 5-door crossover vehicle built on the same platform as the Qashqai, the most popular Nissan in Europe and also the segment leader. Measuring only 4.45 meters in length, this still leaves plenty of room for Renault to sell a larger SUV, which they will do starting in 2017 with the all-new Koleos, sources tell us.
Unlike the current generation, this will be a 7-seater and will be engineered with input from the Nissan's X-Trail, sold in America as the Rogue. The initial sales numbers for the Captur B-segment model suggest crossovers will be the bread and butter models for Renault in the future. But that also means the future is uncertain for some current models.
The Koleos would offer pretty much the same cabin space as the Grand Scenic MPV and Peugeot's experience with its "008" range suggests having too many models can be detriments to a brand. It is yet unclear if the new 7-seater SUV will be named Koleos or Grand Kadjar, but considering the former has been in production since 2007, it would make sense to stick with the devil Renault knows.
It may appear that Renault is cannibalizing sales from sister company Nissan, but in fact their cooperation results in reduced costs by sharing major components. The new Koleos may still be built in South Korea, as there's a factory in Busan that currently makes extra Rogues for the US market due to overcapacity at the Tennessee plant.
Engine options for the new Koleos should include the 130 and 160 hp versions of the 1.6-liter dCi diesel, together with a 1.6-liter turbo petrol borrowed from the Clio RS. Instead of the Xtronic CVT that Nissan uses, Renault will continue to travel down the double-clutch route.
The Koleos would offer pretty much the same cabin space as the Grand Scenic MPV and Peugeot's experience with its "008" range suggests having too many models can be detriments to a brand. It is yet unclear if the new 7-seater SUV will be named Koleos or Grand Kadjar, but considering the former has been in production since 2007, it would make sense to stick with the devil Renault knows.
It may appear that Renault is cannibalizing sales from sister company Nissan, but in fact their cooperation results in reduced costs by sharing major components. The new Koleos may still be built in South Korea, as there's a factory in Busan that currently makes extra Rogues for the US market due to overcapacity at the Tennessee plant.
Engine options for the new Koleos should include the 130 and 160 hp versions of the 1.6-liter dCi diesel, together with a 1.6-liter turbo petrol borrowed from the Clio RS. Instead of the Xtronic CVT that Nissan uses, Renault will continue to travel down the double-clutch route.
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