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Renault Koleos unlikely to make it past 2024
French marque's flagship SUV, for now, doesn't have a replacement lined-up.
Renault Koleos will be upgraded one last time before bowing out officially in 2024
Renault has hinted that its switch towards smaller electric vehicles could result in there not being a replacement for the current second generation Koleos after 2024.
While still the brand’s flagship SUV, the South Korean made Koleos, based the underpinnings of the now previous generation Nissan X-Trail and known as the Renault Samsung QM6 in its home market, is expected to follow its smaller stablemate, the Kadjar, in becoming obsolete within the next 24 months despite sales remaining acceptable.
In spite of the Austral being revealed earlier this year as the replacement for the Kadjar, Renault’s General Manager for Australia, Glen Sealey, told carsguide.com.au that for now, no follow-up is being planned once the Koleos reaches the end of what will be an eight year lifecycle.
“For Renault, Koleos is a big SUV- for us (Renault Australia), it’s not that big. And the market in Europe is not looking for big SUVs. They’re looking for electrified, efficient things,” Sealey said.
ALSO READ: Renault Koleos a roomy and capable everyday SUV
Dropped from the United Kingdom two years ago, the Koleos last received an update in 2019, which, bizarrely, translated into three separate revisions for South Africa over the next two years; a specification list tweak in 2019 that had nothing do with the facelift, the actual mid-life revision in 2020 and then last year, the removal of the all-wheel-drive model.
The end of the Koleos will, however, be offset by an apparent confirmation of the Scenic returning in 2024 as a coupe-styled crossover along the lines of the Peugeot 408 and the Citroën C5 X.
According to Spain’s motor.es, the Scenic, whose 26 year production run as an MPV ended earlier this year, will return as an all-electric model based on the same electric focused platform as the Megane E-Tech, complete with a projected range of 500 km.
While a step-up from the Megane E-Tech and a possible alternative to the Austral in Renault’s line-up, the Scenic is unlikely to replace the Koleos directly as it is expected to be smaller and less of an SUV.
For now, the Koleos remains, but don’t be surprised if more details surrounding its future emerge over the coming months heading into 2023 and ultimately 2024.
