Renault Koleos: Potential Chinese-derived, Korean-made replacement teased

Renault Australia doesn’t have a replacement for the long-running Koleos mid-sized SUV lined up just yet, but a new Korean teaser could offer some hints as to what’s next.

The company’s managing director, Glen Sealey, told media the Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander-rivalling Koleos has a “fantastic future” earlier this year.

“Koleos is one of those vehicles that has pretty much stood the test of time,” Mr Sealey said. “We see a future for it ongoing. We’ll certainly have it for the remainder of this year, and we’ll certainly have it next year as well.”

Beyond that? The Austral SUV has been ruled out for Australia, while the new Scenic is under study for our market.

Given our current Arkana and Koleos are both produced by Renault-Samsung in South Korea, it’s logical to suggest a replacement could come from the same source.

Which is where the car teased by Renault Korea comes in. It’s an SUV with a striking resemblance to the Geely Xingyue L, save for what looks like a unique grille.

The Xingyue L measures up at 4770mm long, 1895mm wide and 1689mm tall. Right-hand drive production hasn’t been locked in, nor have Geely or Renault confirmed it’ll be built to meet Australian Design Rules.

Its dimensions make it 98mm longer, 52mm wider, and 11 mm taller than the current Koleos – or 60mm longer than the Mitsubishi Outlander, which is one of the biggest entrants in the crowded mid-sized SUV world.

Under the skin, the Geely shares its CMA platform and a number of its engines with vehicles in the Volvo world. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid power is offered in China.

Geely acquired a 34 per cent stake in Renault Korea in 2022, and shortly thereafter Renault Korea teased a new hybrid coupe crossover.

It’s set to be one of several electrified, CMA-based vehicles due between now and 2027.

A joint venture between Renault and Geely also announced in 2022 will also see the two companies operate 17 powertrain plants spread across three continents staffed by a total of 19,000 people.

The two automakers estimate that, with their combined product portfolio and regional footprint, their joint venture could offer solutions for 80 per cent of the global internal combustion engine market.

The new company will have a total production capacity of over five million internal-combustion, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains and transmissions each year.

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