Terrestrial highlanders

What is common between Britain’s most successful band, the German number one carmaker and the suave French automobile manufacturer? Beetle (The Beatles in case of the band). The iconic Beetle from Volkswagen explains the common denominator but how does Renault fit in? The French connection here is the name Koleos, which is a Greek word and the scientific term Coleoptera derived from it means beetle. The reason why the SUV is named after that kind of beetle is because it has the ability to inhabit all kinds of terrestrial and water environments, the right kind of DNA an SUV should have. Now the Koleos wants to venture out of its protective shell and see how its fortunes turn out in the real world. The Toyota Fortuner might have muscled its way to the top of its segment but now it faces a very different challenger that is a compact urban SUV but is more than capable of doing some serious off-roading. So will traditions remain intact in this duel or will the new age redefine this SUV segment? Let’s find out.

At a glance you can see the evolution of the SUV world taking place in front of you. The old school ladder frame Fortuner is built to conquer where roads end and badlands start. On the other hand you have the Renault crossover, which looks like a hatchback personally trained by Arnold Schwarzenegger to be all buffed up. Sceptics will say what is an SUV if it doesn’t have that road imposing presence that forces the traffic to give way. End of the day it’s all about monstrous dimensions and high seating position looking down upon the mere mortals and in case of some flashy people a “Playboy” or “Daddy’s Gift” sticker is a must on the rear windscreen. The Fortuner brings out that cool bad boy attitude. The Koleos is more for a metro-sexual person who doesn’t mind taking off his Hugo Boss suit and becoming the Wrangler man to indulge in weekend getaways in the lap of Mother Nature. Is it eye-catching? Hell yes. But is it imposing? Not really. Certainly not next to the Toyota.

The 7-seater Fortuner knows how to pamper the passengers with its cushy seats, which are a big plus when you hit broken roads when you are heading to the hills. Even though its front seats do not come with lumbar support, it gives your back more than enough support. The Koleos does provide the additional lumbar support but somehow the seats feel a bit cramped especially if you have broad shoulders. Seats are snug no doubt but as your hours increase you start sinking into it. But side support on front seats is much better and keeps you glued to them. The Renault, based on its cousin X-trail’s wheelbase, space is at a premium and the rear passengers get just about adequate kneeroom.

With a mid-life botox procedure the Fortuner has got new toys like the reversing camera and the image appears on the new 2-Din display. The Koleos is loaded with six-airbags compared to two airbags in the Fortuner. This crossover comes with the 8-speaker Bose music system, which drowns the hustle-bustle of the towns we passed by. Interior quality is better than the Fortuner's as Renault has added soft plastic touches, which looks and feels rich.

The Fortuner loves doing the jig as it makes you move vertically up-down. The Fortuner will wrestle against any challenge nature throws at it and probably win but at the cost of a bumpy ride quality due to springy suspensions. Driving the Toyota is an effort. The steering wheel is heavy and shifting gears is laborious and let’s not even talk about the knee strengthening clutch and brake pedals. The Koleos rides like a well planted sedan, which does roll slightly but you know you are always in control unlike the Fortuner’s understeer around the bends. Being a monocoque, the Koleos is stable on narrow winding dusty roads. Its trump card is the way it sails over ditches and feels sorted over broken roads, giving one confidence, which is a blessing on landslide hit mountainous roads. This magic carpet ride is definitely one of the best in the segment. The Fortuner is powered by the 3-litre diesel engine with enormous torque that makes sure you hardly need to change gears on the winding roads of Uttarakhand. It isn't slow but its huge body weighs down on the engine, despite the 171bhp. The Koleos gets 150bhp from its 2-litre direct injection common rail diesel engine. There is no lag and the 6-speed automatic gearbox ensures its a smooth driving experience. But when you step on the pedal it lacks the Toyota's power rush. It’s all about a comfortable drive than zipping past the competition.

The big burly Toyota Fortuner huffs and puffs and delivers in terms of all set to rule the unruly. It scores in space, power and efficiency. But as a complete package the Renault Koleos nudges past it in terms of practicality, more luxury features and equipment. It drives better too, especially on the road, and it isn't too bad off it either.

Verdict

The big burly Toyota Fortuner huffs and puffs and delivers in terms of all set to rule the unruly. It scores in space, power and efficiency. But as a complete package the Renault Koleos nudges past it in terms of practicality, more luxury features and equipment. It drives better too, especially on the road, and it isn't too bad off it either.