Skoda Kamiq vs Renault Koleos

What's the difference?

The Skoda Kamiq continues to be an overlooked gem. It’s cleverly designed and well equipped, even in base form, and what sets it apart from many other dull options in this segment is how fun it can be to drive.

Despite all of this and keen ownership terms it continues to account for a tiny number of sales in the segment, and I don’t think it’s destined to change as, value or not, its positioning remains the same in a small SUV space where it’s increasingly hard to stand out.

Still, for those who dare to choose something different, there’s a great little car to be found.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

To be fair to Renault, when the second-generation Koleos launched in 2016, it was a competitive offering. The problem is, a bunch of medium SUV rivals have been replaced in that time and some of them - Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson, to name a few - are high-quality offerings with an engaging drive and the latest tech and in-car features.

Unfortunately, that leaves the Koleos towards the rear of the medium SUV pack.

It offers solid value-for-money, handles reasonably well and is still one the best-looking SUVs on the road. But beyond that, the Koleos can’t keep pace with those top-notch rivals.

The Kamiq's design is distinctly European for better or worse, but it stands out from its crossover rivals by looking (and feeling) more hatchback than SUV.

If you’re wondering what’s changed for this update, I don’t blame you, the changes are very subtle. Looking closely will reveal a tweaked front bumper and a new rear diffuser, as well as progressive LED indicators.

The style of the two variants has also been subtly altered with new wheel choices and the increase in the use of gloss black on the Monte Carlo, but there are more distinct changes on the inside.

Each grade gets its own theme for the highlight trim across the dash reflected in the seats, and honestly I don’t miss the leather, cloth seats are back in in a big way, and in both grades here they’re pretty rad.

Other new features include a tweaked set of multimedia screens, with the base car maintaining a set of dials, and the larger unit re-working its touch-based shortcut buttons.

As usual, the digital dash treatment (courtesy of Volkswagen Group) is well above par in terms of customisation and information.

Ultimately then, it’s not too different from how it looked and felt before, but there’s certainly an argument to be made that it didn’t need to change. The Kamiq has always been a distinctive and well-appointed choice in this segment.

An area that Renault has excelled at in the past decade has been exterior design. Under the stewardship of design chief Laurens van den Acker, Renault has transformed from somewhat quirky to modern and sleek.

The Koleos is getting on in years, having arrived in 2016, but it’s still a handsome SUV. A 2020 facelift sharpened its looks further and we reckon it’s one of the best-looking models in the medium-SUV segment.

Piano black inserts around the gear shifter are a nice touch, but the fake carbon-fibre inserts look and feel cheap. It’s all a bit generic.

But the appealing contrast yellow stitching on the seats, gear shifter housing, doors, centre armrest and more breaks up the grey with a little pop of colour.

Practicality is one of Skoda’s big selling points. The deal is this. Skoda models sit between entries in the Volkswagen range to provide strategic alternatives to its parent company's hero brand.

The Kamiq, for example, sits size-wise between the T-Cross and T-Roc, although once you’re in the cabin it feels bigger than both.

A nice low seating position makes the roof feel distant, while massive windows grant excellent visibility. It's easy for me (at 182cm) to find a nice seating position thanks to plenty of adjustability, although some might find it feels a bit more hatch-like than other SUVs in this class which have taller seating positions.

The overall spacious feeling in the front is boosted by ample storage, including pockets and bottle holders in the doors, a triple cupholder in the centre console, a large storage bay under the climate unit and a small armrest console box.

Unlike rivals in this space which are quick to offer synthetic leathers as you work your way up the range, even the top-spec Monte Carlo has seats clad in cloth trims.

While this might not be great if you have kids prone to spilling liquids, I think design-wise the car is better for it and certainly no less comfortable.

Also notable is the commitment to dials for the climate unit, and a change for this model year is the introduction of fan speed buttons so this function no longer needs to be controlled through the touchscreen.

Interestingly, dials only appear on the smaller of the two touchscreens available on the base Select, while the Monte Carlo’s larger screen only has touch-based volume controls.

The back seat is enormous, offering me leagues of knee room behind my own driving position and the roof remains almost as distant as it is in the front seats.

It also feels wide enough and has decent amenities, like dual USB-C sockets, adjustable rear air vents and dual-tiered pockets on the backs of the front seats. 

You also get a decent-sized bottle holder in the door and a drop-down centre armrest and the soft trims continue into the rear unlike some segment rivals which switch to hard plastic door cards.

The biggest downside for back seat passengers is the raised floor in the centre position (a platform restriction) which unfortunately makes it a bit squeezy for adults. Best leave this centre position for kids.

At 400 litres the boot punches well above its weight for this crossover segment, expanding to 1395L with the second row folded.

There’s a space-saver spare wheel under the floor and the Kamiq is also rated to tow, albeit at a limited 610kg or 630kg for an unbraked trailer and 1200kg or 1250kg (braked) for the Select and Monte Carlo, respectively.

It might lack the up-to-date styling of those rivals, but the Koleos is practical and spacious inside and great for family duties.

As with the outgoing fourth-generation Nissan X-Trail, the Koleos is one of the larger offerings in the medium SUV segment, and it’s evident when sitting in the front or rear seating row.

Rearward visibility could be better, with a small rear screen and thick C- and D-pillars impeding vision and creating a blind spot.

The front seats are well supported and comfortable and while the driver’s side is power adjustable, the front passenger seat is manually adjustable.

It has a deep central storage bin with a hidden shelf for coins and more. The Koleos features a sizeable glovebox and good bottle storage in the doors, with room for other items.

There’s a weird fixed cup holder in the centre console. It’s not adjustable and there’s room for two very narrow cups and two larger, but not wide, cups. It’s strange. Interior designers could have used that space better.

The CVT's position indicators are located to the left of the shifter and are thus obscured, so you have to rely on the instrument cluster display to confirm what gear you want. 

The steering wheel looks and feels good, but the controls aren’t super logical. There are old school switches in the console to activate the cruise control and speed limiter, but then to adjust and reset the speed you have to hit buttons on the wheel that are not clearly marked. 

The audio controls are housed on a panel-like stalk to the right side of the steering column, which isn’t ideal. These make more sense if they’re housed on the wheel itself. 

Along with a number of cars we have sampled recently, the Koleos has split analogue and digital controls for the air conditioning. Just integrate it in the screen or have traditional controls - not both!

It has a part-digital instrument cluster which is fine, but there’s no head-up display.

Renault’s 'R-Link' multimedia set-up in the Koleos is old, with dated graphics and a small screen, but the menu layout is clear and logical. 

The Koleos lacks wireless phone charging and it makes do with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The quality of the Bluetooth and CarPlay phone audio is poor and sounds tinny. 

The proximity key that locks and unlocks the vehicle remotely when you walk towards or away from it works every single time. Many of these systems from other brands are patchy at best but the Renault system is faultless. 

The rear seats recline and fold manually 60/40. They’re also surprisingly comfortable. There’s enough bucketing to sink in a bit, and the seats are set high up so kids can easily see out windows.

Space is ample in the second row, with loads of head, leg, toe and knee room, even behind my six-foot (183cm) driving position.

The rear pew has ISOFIX points on the outboard seats, lower air vents, a 12-volt outlet, map pockets, a centre folding armrest with two cupholders, but no USB ports. You have to make do with the two ports at the front.

Open the power tailgate and you’ll find a decent 458-litre boot with all seats in place (maximum 1690L), which is off the pace of its cousin, the Nissan X-Trail (565L), as well as the Toyota RAV4 (580L) and Hyundai Tucson (539L).

A 17-inch steel spare wheel is housed under the boot floor which might explain the lower boot capacity, and there are handy tie-down hooks, a couple of smaller storage nooks and a solid cargo blind. 

A European badge doesn’t always mean you pay more than say, Korean or Japanese offerings, and Renault is an example of that.

The Koleos line-up, for now, starts from $33,590, before on-road costs, for the two-wheel drive Life and tops out at $46,390 for the Intens all-wheel drive.

But after July 1, 2022, prices will increase across the Renault line-up, with the Koleos set to range from $35,000 to $47,500.

There’s only one petrol engine option since the diesel was dropped in 2019 and each variant is paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) driving either the front or all four wheels.

That pre-July pricing is competitive against its rivals, undercutting the opening price of automatic versions of the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, and more.

Our test car, the Koleos Black Edition, is priced at $40,090 (rising to $40,500 from July 1) and is based on the specification of the mid-range Zen front-wheel drive (FWD). It is limited to 400 units in Australia.

Renault is one of a number of car makers to offer a black-themed model in recent times, alongside Kia, Mitsubishi, Toyota, SsangYong, and others.

The Black Edition adds dark flourishes like 19-inch dark-grey alloy wheels, gloss black roof rails and door mirrors, sidesteps, French flags on the B-pillar (even though it’s built in South Korea) and a choice of three exterior metallic paint colours including black (of course), grey or white. 

It also gets a hands-free powered tailgate, black synthetic leather upholstery with yellow stitching, matt carbon-look inserts, an 8.7-inch multimedia portrait touchscreen and ‘Limited’ badging on the chrome door sills.

That’s on top of features that are standard on the Zen, like a proximity key, push-button start, dusk-sensing headlights, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, auto-folding exterior mirrors, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, a reclining rear seat, dual-zone air-conditioning, and heated and cooled front cupholder.

The multimedia system houses sat nav and comes with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, digital radio and an eight-speaker audio system.

There’s more details on the safety front below, and many rivals come with more modern in-car tech but there’s no question the Koleos offers very good value-for-money. 

Two grades, two engine choices, doesn’t really get simpler.

The base Select is offered only with the smaller 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged 85TSI engine (85kW/200Nm) paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, driving the front wheels.

Meanwhile, the top-spec Monte Carlo is only offered with the larger 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged 110TSI engine (110kW/250Nm). It is also paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto and also only drives the front wheels.

These engine options are notable in the segment as they are both lean turbo units in a sea of older naturally-aspirated engines, and while some will rightfully have reservations around dual-clutch automatics, they’re certainly snappier and more efficient than torque converters or dull CVTs.

The Koleos shares its powertrain with the X-Trail. That means it uses a Euro 5-rated 2.5-litre four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine delivering 126kW of power at 6000rpm and 226Nm of torque at 4400rpm.  

It is paired with a CVT and drives with the front, or all four wheels, depending on the grade. 

The Koleos has a braked towing capacity of 2000kg.

You’ll note Skoda doesn’t offer a hybrid option in its range, although one of the benefits of its more complicated engine and transmission is a fuel consumption which falls between what a plug-less hybrid or naturally aspirated rival might score.

The official/combined consumption of the 85TSI engine is just 5.5L/100km and for the 110TSI engine it is 5.6L/100km.

On our lengthy drive program at the launch both variants seemed to be landing a little over 6.0L/100km, which is more impressive than many rivals, which score in excess of 7.5L/100km in our testing.

Perhaps to even things out a little, the Kamiq’s turbocharged engines require mid-shelf 95 RON unleaded.

According to Renault, the combined fuel consumption figure for the FWD Koleos is 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres. The AWD Koleos sips 8.3L.

After a week of mixed urban, freeway and semi-rural driving, we recorded 11.3L/100km.

Koleos uses 91 RON petrol, has a 60-litre fuel tank and emits 188g/km of CO2 emissions.

What immediately sets the Kamiq apart the moment you hop in the driver’s seat is how hatch-like it feels. While a lot of small SUVs and crossovers in this price-bracket grant a really high seating position to make them feel bigger than they are, the Kamiq lets you sit closer to the floor.

This has the effect of making it feel even smaller than it is, but also lends it a sporty feel from behind the wheel. This is reinforced as soon as you start driving by its lightweight, agile feel.

Keen steering in both grades is backed by firm suspension, making the Kamiq responsive and agile, and because both engines are turbocharged they offer something quite different in this space normally dominated by dull naturally-aspirated 2.0L engines.

First, the catch. The dual clutch transmission can be a bit fiddly, particularly in the 85TSI which comes with a fair dollop of turbo-lag.

This means you’ll have to factor in a moment of delay before acceleration arrives at T-junctions or green lights. It can be frustrating at times, but the trade-off is the small capacity turbo engine pairs with efficient ratios to make for lean fuel consumption.

The fun factor is also boosted. Once you overcome the initial laggy moment, the little turbo engines surge to life with an agreeable gruff tone, and the dual-clutch transforms from fiddly to snappy once you’re at speed.

This means when you’ve got a nice road to carve up, the Skoda is a hell of a lot more entertaining to drive than almost any rival in this space.

It doesn’t have the clumsy handling of Chinese rivals, nor does it have the lifeless drone of a bigger, less efficient engine paired to a continuously variable automatic. It’s a rare slice of excitement in a small SUV category dominated by average drive experiences.

The cabin manages to feel upmarket in most ways, and is relatively easy-to-use on the go thanks to a commitment to the dials and switchgear. It is a comfortable companion on a long journey.

While the suspension is keen and keeps the car agile though, keep in mind the ride can be quite hard. This Skoda doesn’t quite have the poise or breadth of ability of its VW relations. Large wheels in both grades don't help this equation.

There is also a notable amount of tyre roar entering the cabin, particularly on coarse chip or at freeway speeds which, to be fair, is a common trait in this part of the market.

To summarise, the Kamiq is a uniquely European drive experience in an otherwise dull segment, and despite some drawbacks, it’s a real stand-out as a result.

The drive experience is a mixed bag with some highlights and lowlights.

The ageing 2.5-litre engine is responsive enough from a standing start - it has a 0-100km/h time of 9.5 seconds - but it lacks any real punch and becomes breathless the second you encounter a hill.

It is noisy and revs hard when pushed, with the CVT drone not making for a particularly pleasant aural experience. You’ll hear a fair bit of road and tyre noise in the cabin, too.

The steering is dull and feels quite artificial, but the brakes feel strong.

Unless you’re on a perfectly smooth road surface, the ride is a little busy and the damper tune fails to adequately soften corrugations, potholes and speed bumps. 

It is, however, a more capable handler than expected. The chassis is well sorted, and aside from feeling top heavy with body roll when cornering, it has decent grip and displayed impressive roadholding characteristics, even on a sweeping bend with a loose shoulder surface.

There was a little understeer detected turning into a particularly tight bend.

It can’t match the dynamism of the Kia Sportage or Mazda CX-5, but it does engage the driver to some extent.

The Koleos was awarded a five-star ANCAP crash safety rating back in 2017.

It comes as standard with six airbags, auto emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, cruise control, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, and a tyre pressure monitor. 

It lacks some of the more modern active driver aids that are offered as standard in rivals, like an active lane-keeping system that helps ensure the vehicle doesn’t cross line markings. The Koleos makes do with an audible warning that, oddly, sounds like a whoopie cushion when activated.

The cruise control is not adaptive, instead it’s the old school version that doesn’t detect vehicles ahead and lower its speed accordingly. 

Having more up-to-date safety gear would improve the Koleos’ appeal.

Skoda is going to great lengths to try and challenge the idea that a European car can’t be as easy to own as a Japanese or Korean rival.

As a result, it is the first European brand to offer a seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which is backed by a seven-year prepaid service pack.

This pack is reasonable. At $2650 it works out to $379 a year, which is not quite as affordable as Toyota or some Chinese rivals, but it’s also not expensive when you consider the service pricing of brands like Subaru or Kia.

It also offers a guaranteed future value program and the brand’s keen finance terms, on paper at least, make a Kamiq cheaper to own over five years than many of its competitors.

The Koleos is covered by Renault’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is stadatd in the meainstream market, now. 

It is available with a five-year capped-price servicing plan, with each service costing $429, except year four which will set you back $999.

The servicing schedule is every 12 months or 30,000km, whichever occurs first.