Photo: CarPix
Despite many refreshes and updates, the Renault Koleos has never been as popular as some of its Japanese compact SUV rivals. An all-new generation is currently under development on the road of Europe and thankfully, it's going to share its platform with what's arguably the best crossover on the market, the 2014 Nissan Qashqai.
The second generation Koleos has already been confirmed for a 2016 debut by the French carmaker. Over a year ahead of its launch, the first prototype has been photographed wearing a complete body shell. Though it's covered up in heavy camouflage, we can tell its design is influenced by the new Twingo and the 2015 Espace, which is to debut in the next few months.
A large diamond badge play a predominant role in the middle of a V-shape grille that connects the headlights. These show LED accents and projectors for the main beams. Interestingly, many of the body panels are the same size as on the Qashqai (seen in the background), such as the side windows. Could this be just a re-badged Nissan?
Very few technical details are known at the moment, though Renault is likely to center all its development efforts around the new Common Module Family (CMF) architecture, helping them save weight and reduce costs. Many components could be shared with other Nissan and Renault models, including the latest family of downsized petrol engines.
The current generation of the Koleos was launched in 2007 and was developed by the company's Korean division Renault Samsung Motors, which manufactures it in Busan as the QM5.
French magazines have been reporting that the Koleos will actually be discontinued and replaced by a new model called either the Megane SUV or the "Racoon" (yes, that's with only one "c"). While this information is unlikely to be confirmed until 2015, it's clear that thee Koleos is no-longer an SUV, but a crossover. The prototype's wheels, for instance, have been taken from the Qashqai.
While the two might be similar, we've seen time and time again that the two sister brand do things differently. For example, Nissans uses CVTs while Renault offers double-clutch options for the automatic versions of 1.5 dCi and 1.2 turbo engines (called TCe and DIG-T).
A large diamond badge play a predominant role in the middle of a V-shape grille that connects the headlights. These show LED accents and projectors for the main beams. Interestingly, many of the body panels are the same size as on the Qashqai (seen in the background), such as the side windows. Could this be just a re-badged Nissan?
Very few technical details are known at the moment, though Renault is likely to center all its development efforts around the new Common Module Family (CMF) architecture, helping them save weight and reduce costs. Many components could be shared with other Nissan and Renault models, including the latest family of downsized petrol engines.
The current generation of the Koleos was launched in 2007 and was developed by the company's Korean division Renault Samsung Motors, which manufactures it in Busan as the QM5.
French magazines have been reporting that the Koleos will actually be discontinued and replaced by a new model called either the Megane SUV or the "Racoon" (yes, that's with only one "c"). While this information is unlikely to be confirmed until 2015, it's clear that thee Koleos is no-longer an SUV, but a crossover. The prototype's wheels, for instance, have been taken from the Qashqai.
While the two might be similar, we've seen time and time again that the two sister brand do things differently. For example, Nissans uses CVTs while Renault offers double-clutch options for the automatic versions of 1.5 dCi and 1.2 turbo engines (called TCe and DIG-T).
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