| First Drive | Fez, Morocco | Renault Koleos |

Renault may be among the later entrants to the compact SUV sector, but the French firm says it has given it plenty of time to study form. The Koleos is the result of all this research and it gets off to a good start by using the Nissan X-Trail as its base. Renault's previous dalliances with four-wheel drive have been less than remarkable, so the Koleos has to impress to stand a chance in a class jam-packed with talent.

In the Metal

It's a shame that Renault has not been bolder with the styling of the Koleos. The reason for this is that this car needs to continue appealing to buyers for several years rather than being a flash in the fashion pan. But as the crisp Mégane shows, bold can grow old gracefully. Still, the Koleos has just enough of the right 4x4 stance to let your neighbours know you're the type of person who could scale the Eiger. If you wanted to.

Admittedly, the Koleos should help attract a younger crowd into Renault showrooms and it is the ideal staging post between the Mégane and Scenic and the more expensive Laguna and Espace models.

What you get for your Money

With most Koleos specifications, buyers have the choice between two- and four-wheel drive models. The front-wheel drive only versions are available in the entry level Dynamique and mid-spec Dynamique S trims, but the plush Privilege models only come with all-wheel drive. The four-wheel drive system has the option of front-wheel drive, auto mode (where the car only sends power to the rear wheels when needed) and a locked mode where power is divided equally between the front and rear axles.

Dynamique Koleos models have air conditioning, six airbags, cruise control and alloy wheels. The S version adds climate control, ESP, hill descent control (for four-wheel drive models), hill start and parking sensors. Go for the Privilege and you'll enjoy leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, satellite navigation and bi-Xenon headlights. The Koleos' cabin offers decent space in the front and rear, while the boot is big and shaped for practicality. It's accessed through a split tailgate with a lower section that folds down and can be used as a seat a la the Range Rover. Folding the rear seats to extend the boot is a doddle thanks to Renault's 'Super Fold' system that lets the seats tumble forwards at the tug of a lever in the boot's side wall.

Driving it

Renault offers two versions of its 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine in 150- and 175bhp tunes. The 175bhp engine is only used in the top spec Privilege and offers little extra performance over a front-drive Koleos with the 150bhp diesel. For this alone, the very expensive 175 dCi Privilege model is best avoided, but besides that, neither can it match the economy or lower emissions of the 150 dCi models with manual gearboxes.

Both diesels offer similar performance, but it's disappointing that they are not a little punchier at low revs. Until the 2.0-litre turbodiesel has registered 2,000rpm, the engine feels lacklustre and it's all too easy to stall, though the electric parking brake releases automatically as you pull away to make getaways on steep hills much simpler.

The diesel engine is refined and - once spinning above 2,000rpm - is happy to pull cleanly through the standard six-speed manual gearbox. Refinement is a Koleos strong point and the engine is hushed at motorway pace. Wind and road noise are also kept at bay better than in most of the Renault's rivals.

Worth Noting

Using the Nissan X-Trail as its starting point means the Koleos was always going to have a little more off-road ability than much of the competition. But it's on the road where the Koleos pulls off its biggest coup. It's good to drive, and not just for an SUV, being surprisingly agile and composed in corners. There's little body lean and well judged power steering serves up the right amount of feel without becoming heavy in town or twitchy on the motorway.

The Koleos mops up rut-strewn roads with the sort of ease we'd expect of a Renault saloon - not an SUV. Only the low-speed ride lets the side down a touch as it's just a fraction too firm and fidgety for completely relaxed urban travel. However, we can live with this as a fair trade for the Koleos' poised, grippy handling.

Summary

Renault's Koleos is a competent package that delivers a well made and versatile cabin, and a pleasingly adept driving experience. Every version is generously equipped, though we struggle to see the point of the top spec 175 dCi Privilege model. The Koleos will no doubt help attract buyers into Renault showrooms and convert them into sales figures. However, the Plain Jane styling misses the pizzazz of some rivals and that can be enough to swing a buyer's decision in this hotly contested and crowded sector. Renault's first proper SUV is good, but not a class leader.