Skoda Kodiaq vs Renault Koleos

What's the difference?

All in all the changes to the 2022 Skoda Kodiaq range hardly change the game, and indeed, some further changes wouldn’t have gone astray - the inclusion of that safety gear range-wide at no cost being the chief one.

And while the RS is a well-rounded and impressive SUV, I found myself drawn more towards the mid-spec Sportline as the pick of the range. Though again, I’d have to insist upon the option box for the safety kit to be ticked.

As an alternative to its Japanese and Korean rivals, it offers a lot to think about - especially considering the brand’s commitment to care for its owners.

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 Kodiaq RS is definitely the looker of the range, with its more aggressive appearance and eye-catching wheels which I'm not a huge fan of. But they hide a secret - if you don't like that aero-look, you can remove the plastic covers for a more conventional sporty wheel design - you'll just need to get some new centre caps and wheel nut covers.

On the whole, though, if you ask me, the facelifted Kodiaq isn't quite as good looking as the last version, though. The headlights have been redesigned, as have the daytime running lights and the grille, and while they all look pretty tidy on the RS model, and the Sportline looks nice, too.

But I reckon the chrome finish on the base grade looks a bit senior. It's a bit like when I look at myself in the mirror these days - not quite as good looking as in days gone by.

Nothing's really changed in terms of the side profile apart from the wheels fitted. The base model you see in these images and in the video rides on 19-inch "Cursor" alloy wheels, but the standard rims are a multispoke rim that won't be to all tastes.

Something you might not be able to un-see are the door handles, which look like they're in the wrong spot on the doors. Right? But they are all proximity unlocking doors, which is great, and the clever door edge protector that flips out and stops you from chipping the paint or denting nearby cars have been carried over to the facelift model.

At the rear it's good to see that all models in this range now have LED lighting as well.

Inside you might not pick much in the way of differences in the lower grade versions, but there is a new steering wheel with different buttons and dials. In the RS models, the changes are a bit more noticeable, with perforated leather seat trim with cooling now featuring, while the old model had part-leather, part-Alcantara trim.

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.

There are plenty of neat Skoda touches in the cabin, from the dual glovebox setup to the lined, oversized door pockets, to the so-called "Mega Box" storage bin between the front seats.

But I have an issue with the cup holders in the front and second row. They're too small. And too shallow. I put a takeaway coffee cup in, and because the cup holder is also awkwardly positioned, I managed to spill my coffee. Twice. My keep cup didn't fit either, and nor did my water bottle. Mobile beverage aficionados, take note.

I also struggle to come to terms with the media system, which - with a 9.2-inch screen - looks great, but lacks buttons or knobs or dials to make interacting with it easy when you're driving. There are steering wheel controls, of course, but even newer versions of Skoda models (like the long-term Octavia I had) included a home-strip that made these jobs a bit easier.

Also, is it good enough that you're getting a 9.2-inch screen whether you choose the base model or the $22k-dearer RS? Some would expect a larger media screen, and rivals have 10.3-inch units.

At least this new one supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there's a standard wireless charging mat, too. If you're like me and prefer to plug in to the media system using a USB cable, it'll have to be a USB-C one, as that's all that's on offer.

Also worth noting is that there are only two USB ports in the entire car, which makes the likes of the Kia Sorento (with up to EIGHT!) look very generous.

As for front-seat comfort, it's good. I didn't get a chance to sample the base model's real seats, as the 132TSI Style I drove had all the options boxes ticked, but the leather (if you choose it) is nice, and the RS's quilted leather makes a good impression, too.

In the second row there was enough space for me (182cm/6'0") to sit behind my own driving position, but only just. And that was with the sliding second-row all the way back. Any further forward, and it wasn't comfortable.

If you are likely to take smaller occupants with you, you'll be happy to learn there are three top-tether and two outboard ISOFIX mounts in the second row. I didn't get a chance to fit a child seat, but see Malcolm Flynn's long-term review of the pre-facelift base model, where he managed to fit three kids across the second row.

Another issue I have with the second-row sliding seat is that the 60:40 split layout sees the larger portion on the kerb/passenger side of the car. It doesn't make sense to me, because you'd surely want anyone who's clambering into the back row to be doing so from the kerb side, and to be doing it over the skinnier section which is easier to fold and slide.

I like the integrated sunblinds (even if they're not overly shady in direct light, so your kids might still need further shade), and again, there are big door pockets and map pockets on the seat backs, as well as directional air vents - but only a 12-volt outlet and no USB charging options.

I would say the third-row accommodation is okay for short distances, but nothing better. There are no air vents, there's no charging (apart from another 12-volt), and I struggled to fit in there - it certainly isn't as good as a Kluger for back-row room.

Further, there are no third-row child seat options, unlike rivals such as the Mazda CX-8 and CX-9, and the Kia Sorento.

So while the occupant space "in the boot" could be better, the cargo capacity is good. With all seven seats up, there's 270 litres (VDA) of boot space, while if you fold the back row down (five seats up) you've got 630L (VDA) to play with when the seats are slid back, and 765L if they're slid forward.

And the boot also has the clever bits you'd expect, like tie down points, netting, cargo box velcro attachments, and under the boot floor there's a space-saver spare wheel and even a picnic mat. Nice.

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. 

The Kodiaq carries over its 132TSI 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine from the previous model, and it is unchanged - that means it still has 132kW of power and 320Nm of torque, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive.

Rivals like the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe both lack turbo-petrol power at all, and both of those (and plenty of others) are front-wheel drive as standard.

The bigger news though is the 2.0-litre, so-called 180TSI in the top-spec RS model. It's essentially the Golf GTI engine, so it has 180kW and with 370Nm of torque. Like the base grade, it's a 7-spd DSG, and AWD.

It may have 4kW more than the diesel engine that was offered in the pre-facelift RS, but it's down on torque by a staggering 130Nm - or 26 per cent.

However, Skoda reckons this new "free-revving" turbo-petrol is quicker from 0-100 (now 6.6 seconds, was 7.0sec), is lighter (by 60kg overall) and has less vibration, too. What about character, though? More in the driving section.

It should also be called out that none of these engines use mild-hybrid tech, nor are there any hybrid, plug-in hybrid or EV versions planned for this generation Kodiaq. At risk of being left behind, there.

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.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption for the 132TSI is 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres, which seems high for a sticker number. Often these ones are pretty hard to achieve in real-world driving, but in my few hundred kays with the 132TSI Style, I saw a return of just 8.0L/100km.

The 180TSI in the RS is said to be more efficient, using a claimed 7.5L/100km. I couldn't beat that figure, but I did drive it in a more spirited manner, and got 8.8L/100km.

It needs 95RON premium unleaded petrol across the range, and fuel tank size is 60 litres.

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.

Without doubt, if you want the driver's choice, it's the RS.

From the more potent petrol engine and its more enticing soundtrack (it has a sound actuator in the exhaust that makes it sound a bit more menacing than the lower grade versions), to the progressive steering and adaptive suspension, it's a fairly sweet drive.

The engine is indeed "free-revving", and in manual mode for the transmission, with Sport driving mode chosen, you can make this thing more like a high-riding hot-hatch if you want it to be.

I will say, though, that the old RS model was more entertaining in my opinion. Sure, it might not have been as smooth or as fast, but it had a really growly, staunch soundtrack, and it felt more involved for the driver. The new RS's refined nature can leave you feeling a bit detached.

However, the way it can transform into a more sedate, family-focused drive is impressive too, with the Comfort program chosen, the suspension and steering settle down, as does the powertrain, and it makes for a pretty plush drive.

I also drove the other grades, and honestly, you're not going to miss the 48kW/50Nm in most situations.

The 132TSI still offers a good amount of grunt and pulling power, and it's hardly a slouch with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 8.4 seconds (6.6sec for the RS). That's still plenty quick for a seven-seater SUV.

It isn't quite as smooth to drive as the RS, with a little bit more hesitation from the dual-clutch automatic in low-speed situations, and also the DSG in the Style model I drove made a lot of mechanical noises in the gearbox at low speed.

The Style model misses out on the good steering system - the Progressive Steering fitted to Sportline and RS models makes them more involving to drive, whereas the base car requires more armwork to turn the car, and also has a bit more play on centre, meaning it can be a bit difficult to position yourself in the lane.

The Style (19-inch) and Sportline (20-inch) models have Pirelli rubber, while the RS models have Continental tyres on their 20s, and there appeared to be a more surefooted feeling in the sporty top-spec car in the bends.

And while they all ride pretty well, I found that the Style on 19s was a bit more jolty at the rear on the roads I tested it on in Sydney. None were uncomfortable, though maybe I expected the base one on the smaller wheels to be a bit more comfortable.

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.

It's rare to see a European brand with such a clear interest in taking care of its customers in the way Skoda Australia is.

The company has the industry standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty plan, which is a good start.

And it also has the choice of pay as you go servicing, or a prepaid pack that makes it cheaper for you to maintain your Kodiaq ($1800 for five years/75,000km for the non-RS models, $2000 for the RS). You can roll the cost into your purchase or finance payments, which makes it one less thing to think about, and your first two services are free, compared to pay as you go capped price servicing.

But then Skoda has also added a seven-year/105,000km servicing plan, which is $2700 for Style and Sportline, $2900 for RS. That means you're getting the first three services free, and also, you get a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, too. This promotional plan is in place until 30 June 2022, and may be extended beyond that.

If you service with Skoda you'll also get the same cover for roadside assistance at no extra cost, and the plans are transferable.

If that's not right for you, there's also a subscription-based servicing plan, which includes all consumables including brakes, fluids, batteries and wipers. These are priced depending on your expected annual mileage, but an example is $44.50 per month for a driver who does 15,000km a year.

And if you're considering a used Kodiaq (or any other used Skoda), there's also the option of a four-year service pack, too.

This is a brand that really is aiming to take care of its customers.

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.