Following the Captur and the Kadjar, Renault’s SUV lineup will grow with a larger, seven-seat model similar in size to the Nissan X-Trail, with which it will share many of the components.
Currently under development, the Koleos-replacing D-segment SUV is expected to debut in 2017 with similar styling to the recently-unveiled Kadjar.
“It’s much more than just a big Kadjar – the proportions are slightly different, the positioning is more high end. We are going for a different type of customer. It will sit just underneath the Espace, which for me remains the flagship of the brand,” Renault’s design boss Laurens van den Acker told Auto Express.
But with its seven-seat option, won’t the new SUV take away sales from Espace? Laurens van den Acker doesn’t think so, simply because the two models won’t be offered simultaneously on the same markets.
“Not many markets will take the D-crossover and the Espace. The D crossover is mainly for Asia, where it will replace the Koleos, and there is no Espace in Asia. It will be sportier, it will be younger than the Espace,” the designer explained.
The upcoming SUV will be based on Renault-Nissan’s CMF platform which already underpins crossovers such as the Qashqai, Kadjar and X-Trail.
As for the model’s name, it will likely continue the strategy established on the Captur and Kadjar. “There is a fairly high chance the name will start with a C or a K,” Renault’s senior vice president for marketing, Michael Van Der Sande, said. What about… Koleos?
Note: X-Trail-based rendering created in-house by Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO
