Family Man Goes French

In a Seemingly Overcrowded Segment, Does the Renault Koleos Stand Any Chance of Gaining the Attention of the Average Family Man?

Remember old spaghetti western movies? A lone wolf would walk through those swinging doors, giving every other guy in the tavern a Clint Eastwood-like stare before sitting down and ordering a glass of the barkeep’s finest whisky. The other gentlemen in said establishment wouldn’t dare stare at this man for too long, for he had the six-shooter with the longest barrel.

The modern equivalent of this scenario is the school run. A bunch of men gathering together, staring uncomfortably as a new rival enters. Unlike the days where having the longest barrel mattered, these days it’s all about the cars. The undisputed king of the school drop-off zone is the Hilux/ Fortuner/RAV4, which is akin to having a rifle as long as The Rock’s forearm.

Thankfully, the school drop-off is only an occasional experience but one we tend to win for obvious reasons. Pitch up with a Ford Raptor or Mercedes G63 and you’ve essentially carpet bombed the parking lot.

Then there are the random instances where you arrive in a run-of-the-mill mid-size SUV like the Renault Koleos. It’s not offensive, in the same way that it’s nowhere near a conversation starter. Or at least that’s what we thought.

On a dreary Tuesday morning, standing to the side of the playground, slowly preparing to leave, one fellow father skulked on over to ask about it.

Already this generation Koleos is in a better position than the older one which didn’t enjoy much popularity here. Instead of giving the inquisitive parent the full low-down on the car, we promised to dedicate an entire missive to answer all his burning questions.

WILL IT STAND OUT?

Since this whole thing started because of a man asking about it, we’ll assume it stands out enough to attract some attention. Design-wise, it’s a beefed-up Renault Mégane. Interesting from some angles, less so from others.