Autoblog

click above to view more high-res images of the Renault Koleos

The French don't have much history with sport-utes. So when PSA wanted to make an SUV, it turned to Mitsubishi, which rebadged its Outlander to make the Peugeot 4007 and Citroen C-Crosser. Now Renault wants a part of the action too, but fortunately has its own Japanese partner in Nissan with plenty of experience in the truck and crossover market. And so comes the production Koleos, details of which Renault has released ahead of its debut at the upcoming Geneva show next month, based on the concept from Paris 2006.

Underneath its skin you'll find a lot of Nissan Xtrail, with which the Renault Koleos shares its platform, suspension and a range of engines including a pair of 2-liter dCi diesels and a 2.5-liter gasoline four. The all-wheel-drive system channels 100% of the power to drive the front wheels under normal conditions, diverting as much as 50% to the rear when needed. The interior is stylish and packed full of convenience features. The Koleos will be built in a joint venture with Samsung in Korea, where the crossover is already on sale as the QM5.

Full details are in the press release after the jump, and more high-res images are in the gallery below.

[Source: Renault]

Gallery: 2008 Renault Koleos