2021 Renault Koleos update due Q2 2021

The Renault Koleos is getting an update soon, but it won’t look like the one it’s just gotten in its home market.

Renault Australia has confirmed an updated Koleos will arrive in the second quarter of next year.

In Korea, where it’s built, the Koleos is badged as the Samsung QM6 and it’s been treated to a minor nip-and-tuck.

Up front, there’s a new grille design with a diamond-patterned insert, while all Korean-market QM6s have LED headlights as standard. The current Koleos only offered these in range-topping Intens trim.

The tail light graphics have been revised, too, and now boast dynamic indicators.

The QM6 comes with a choice of naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines, one of which runs on LPG, but we expect the Australian-market Koleos to retain its naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine.

Mated to a continuously-variable transmission and available with either front- or all-wheel drive, the 2.5-litre produces 126kW of power and 226Nm of torque.

The update comes after the Koleos received a nip-and-tuck just last year. In contrast, the Koleos’ platform-mate, the Nissan X-Trail, is receiving a substantial redesign next year.

Year-to-date, Renault has sold 1541 examples of its Koleos, more than the Trafic (1257) and Master (1146) vans. Nissan, however, has sold 11,064 X-Trails so far this year.

While the Koleos lives in the shadows of its Japanese and Korean-branded rivals, as well as the Volkswagen Tiguan, it’s currently outselling other European-badged rivals like the Skoda Karoq, Citroen C5 Aircross and Peugeot 3008 as well as lower-volume mid-sized SUVs like the Haval H6 and Jeep Cherokee.

It has, however, been overtaken by the upstart MG HS, of which 2137 examples have been sold this year.