Articles by Ewan Kennedy

Yet another class has been introduced to the Mercedes-Benz range in Australia.

Fiat’s onslaught on the Australian market continues.

Renault's drive for increased market share in Australia continues. The latest vehicle to receive the makeover and price reduction treatment is the Renault Koleos.Sales of the Koleos have almost doubled in the past 12 months and may improve yet again following a major restyle. Renault is calling the update of the Koleos Phase 3 guise. We first saw the new face of Renault when the Clio was reintroduced to Australia in September.  As well as the bold face, the Phase 3 Koleos has a new design of alloy wheels and chromed side protective strips.Inside are new trims designs and the option of brown leather upholstery. There's a redesigned audio interface and a new 7-inch touchscreen navigation system with multimedia functions. Renault Koleos Expression gains an alarm, lockable glove box and deadlocking.At $27,490, the Expression 4x2 petrol manual costs $1000 less than the vehicle it replaces. Even better, the driveaway price for the Expression is $27,990, but only as an introductory offer. This will increase to $27,490, plus on-road and dealer charges at a time yet to be nominated by Renault Australia.Renault Koleos Expression petrol automatic has a manufacturer's list price of $30,490. This is also down $1000 from the superseded model. There's no driveaway special on the Expression - or indeed on any others in the revised Koleos range.Renault Koleos Bose models now have two-tone 17-inch alloy wheel design, integrated satellite navigation with a touchscreen, front parking sensors, keyless start and an automatically dimming interior mirror. A rear view camera is available as an option on the Koleos Bose.The Koleos Bose has a recommended price of $35,490 for the 4x2 petrol automatic, $38,990 for the 4x4 petrol auto and $40,490 for the 4x4 diesel auto.Topping out the range is the Renault Koleos Privilege. It has two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels, and both front seats are electrically adjustable (previously only the driver's seat had this handy function. There's a trim option, with a choice between brown leather or brown interior with beige. The reversing camera is standard.The manufacturer's list price for the Renault Koleos Phase 3 Privilege CVT 4X4 Petrol is $44,740, while the Privilege CVT 4X4 Diesel is now $46,240.The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel has been revamped to increase its power by 17 kW, now producing up to 127 kW. Torque has gone from an already good 320 Nm to an impressive 360 Nm. We have yet to drive the new model but are looking forward to the punch it obviously produces and will report as soon as we have got ourselves into the driver's seat.Brown is the new black in Europe at the moment and it's no surprise the French Koleos introduces an interesting brown metallic to its range. We have always admired the Renault Koleos range for being just that little bit different from other medium SUVs. The touch of French flair appeals to us and this facelift adds further to that look and feel. 

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