Renault introduced the Koleos to the world at the 2016 Paris motor show ahead of its launch in the UK in the summer of 2017.

The Koleos shares its platform and fundamental engineering with the Nissan X-Trail but, while the Japanese machine displays a boxy, utilitarian aesthetic, the French SUV adopts a more curvaceous, sporty look.

The front is dominated by the Renault badge mounted in the middle of the full-width chrome grille. The grille is flanked by the large contemporary LED headlamps displaying the company’ bold C-shape signature lighting.

There’s a chrome strip that runs along the front wings that gives the impression of a clamshell bonnet and pronounced wheel arches filled with chunky alloy wheels to lend the Koleos a muscular stance. The door sills are shaped to reflect the light up the sides and emphasise the sculpted sides.

There’s a rooftop spoiler at the rear while the full-width (almost) rear light and reflector design mimics the look across the front of the car.

The interior is one of the best Renault has produced. There’s no seven-seat option but if you’re needs don’t extend beyond carrying five people and their luggage in considerable comfort then the Koleos could well be the answer.

The seats are supportive and the cabin spacious. The raised ride height offers a commanding view of the road for everyone onboard and with plenty of flexibility in the seat and steering wheel positions, find a comfortable driving position shouldn’t be an issue.

There’s a generous four USB ports for plugging in personal devices and large door bins for other bits and pieces. If you’re sitting up-front you also get heated/cooled cup holders.

There’s a seven-inch touchscreen – upgraded to 8.7in on the Signature Nav model – running TomTom sat-nav software, so you get live traffic and European mapping included. The display is crisp and clear but the touchscreen could certainly be more responsive. There’s also the issue of trying to adjust settings, such as the air-con, while on the move. Something that can prove undeniably frustrating.

There are two engines available – a 1.6-litre with 130hp and a 2.0-litre with 175 – both diesels. My review car was fitted with the more powerful of the two engines, sending power to the front wheels through a CVT automatic transmission. The transmission has seven false ratios engineered in that behave like conventional gears, with the revs rising and falling in a more natural way as you accelerate. It’s only if you press on a little harder that the difference becomes more apparent as the ‘box hangs onto a ‘ratio’ longer than a conventional auto and the revs soar.

There is a manual mode but there’s no sense in using it because the unit will still change up for you as you accelerate, which kind of makes the mode pointless.

It would be wrong to target the performance of what is, ostensibly, family transport so I want. For the purposes of carrying you, your loved ones and whatever sundries you might have packed in the book the Koleos does a fine job.

The gearbox is a little hesitant from a standing start, which can make pulling away at junctions an intriguing proposition but on the go it generally swaps ratios intuitively and seamlessly. You’ll also find overtaking, particularly on A roads, a bit more challenging thanks to languid in-gear performance but, that said, if you’re planning on hurtling through the countryside at speed, this is never going to be the car for you.

That’s also in part thanks to steering that’s a bit vague so, while you can place the nose of the Koleos with some degree of accuracy, that lack of feel saps confidence and there’s more body roll than you encounter in some of its rivals.

While you might rue the lack of feedback the light steering makes manoeuvring in car parks and around town effortless, while it weights up nicely on the motorway adding welcome stability when you’re travelling at pace. In a straight line at least.

The ride is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s easily unsettled by potholes around town and even at higher speeds it struggles to iron out high-frequency ripples and ridges. It does, however, handle more gentle crests and dips well but the way it goes about its business isn’t particularly discreet either.

Despite the bluff front end there’s very little wind noise to trouble occupants but the big tyres can generate a bit of a roar and that CVT throws a little spanner in the refinement works because it lets the engine revs rise noticeably when you’re pulling away.

There’s no petrol-engined version of the Koleos and if you want, or need, seven seats then you’ll have to look elsewhere. It isn’t the most dynamically capable and the ride isn’t quite as polished as some of its rivals either but the exterior styling gives it a premium look and real presence too.

The crisply-styled exterior is complemented by a cabin that’s excels in the quality of both its fit and finish and if rear passenger space is high on your list of priorities then the Koleos should certainly be close to the top of your shopping list.

Renault Koleos Iconic dCi 175 4x2 X-Tronic

Price: £27,495

As tested: £28,225

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder diesel

Transmission: CVT

Max power: 175hp @ 3,750rpm

Max torque: 380Nm @ 2,000rpm

Max speed: 126mph

0-62mph: 9.9sec

Combined (WLTP): 38.2mpg

Emissions (CO2): 163g/km

For more information visit www.renault.co.uk