Hang on, the Renault Koleos - haven't we had one of these before?

Well done, you, we have indeed. Trailed as far back as 2000 as a concept, and then seen again in 2006, the Renault Koleos finally hit the streets in 2008. And was killed off here within two years as we singularly failed to fall in love with this compact crossover/SUV thing. Renault went away, licked its wounds, had another think about things and then ventured tentatively back into the game with the Captur first, and then the larger Kadjar next. Following those cars' success, now it feels ready to launch the Koleos again.

Does 'Koleos' translate as 'really busy design' in some obscure foreign language?

No, it doesn't, but you're right, it is an eye-catching machine. There's so much going on in terms of the styling, from the large-badged, C-shaped daytime running lights-adorned face, along the flanks with their vents, bulges, sill panels and crease lines (look at the bonnet's side shut line, for instance) and finishing up with the rear dominated by near full-width clusters, a couple of trapezoidal exhausts and plenty more edges, scallops and textures.

You don't like it, do you?

Au contraire, Mr Know-It-All, we think it looks bloody marvellous. There's no way this thing, all 4,670mm of it, will fade into the background and we congratulate Renault for being daring in the design. It is penned by the same team that gave us the rest of Renault's range-topping delights, like the Espace and Talisman... which, er, which we don't benefit from over here.

And can you explain the interior?

Classy, spacious (it has a 624-litre boot and 289mm of rear knee room) and laden with technology, the Koleos' cabin is dominated by screens: there's a seven-inch item in the centre of the instrument cluster, upon which you can display the driving data read-outs; and then the centre console benefits from either a seven-inch landscape display or an 8.7-inch portrait item, depending on spec. R-Link 2 infotainment software controls the lot, which means you navigate the menus within as you would on a smartphone - with pinch and swipe movements.

Is this one of those off-roaders that's no good off-road?

Au contrai... oh, wait, we've done that one. No, it should be pretty capable. Built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance's CMF-C/D chassis architecture (the same underpinnings as found beneath the Kadjar, and Nissan's Qashqai and X-Trail models) and featuring All-Mode 4x4-i technology, the Koleos also has 213mm of ground clearance and approach/departure angles of 19/26 degrees respectively. Some markets will get 2WD-only versions; no idea yet if the UK is among them. Power comes from two petrol and two diesel engines, with outputs between 130- and 175hp, while gearboxes are a manual or X-Tronic automatic, both of them equipped with six ratios.

When will we see the Koleos on sale?

After everywhere else in the world, apparently. The big Renault SUV is going to have its debut at the forthcoming Beijing auto show before going on sale in Q3 in Australia, Turkey, the UAE and Latin America. China will follow by the end of this year, before we here in Europe and Russia get our hands on it in early 2017.

Matt Robinson - 25 Apr 2016