The details of the 2012 Renault Koleos mid-life update have been revealed a few days out from its official unveiling at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The upgraded Renault Koleos is due in Australia late in 2011. The new model benefits from a refreshed exterior design and some serious efficiency gains for the diesel engine.

The 2.0-litre dCi diesel engine comes in two tunes: the first with 110kW and 320Nm, and a more powerful variant with 127kW and 360Nm (4×4 six-speed manual only, not available in Australia).

Renault has reduced combined cycle fuel consumption to as low as 5.7 litres/100km for the 4×2 manual model, although this variant is unlikely to find its way to Australia.

Currently, the only diesel model in Renault Australia’s Koleos range is the 4×4 six-speed automatic. New car shoppers will be happy to know its combined cycle fuel consumption has dropped more than 14 per cent – from 8.3 to 7.1 litres/100km. CO₂ emissions are also down considerably from 221g/km to 186g/km.

The 2.5-litre petrol engine maintains its 126kW/226Nm maximum output. Combined cycle fuel consumption figures also carry over unchanged, ranging from 9.3 litres/100km for the 4×2 CVT model (front-wheel drive, continuously variable transmission) to 9.9 litres/100km for the 4×4 six-speed manual.

Attention to detail has been paid to the interior, with a focus on material and surface quality. Subtle changes have been made, including revisions to the instrument cluster and a more refined centre console layout.

Practicality and versatility are strong suits for the new Koleos, with 70 litres of cabin stowage space, 450 litres in the boot (1380 litres with 60:40 rear seats folded down), and a clamshell split-opening tailgate.

The five-star ANCAP safety rating will carry over, with the standard package including six airbags and ESC with understeer control.

Full Australian specifications will be revealed closer to the launch of the 2012 Renault Koleos in December, although we expect the available varitants to largely carry over.

Renault Australia’s Emily Ambrosy said the focus of the update was to make the Koleos range “customer-centric” and a strong value for money proposition.

“We will be playing hardball with the new Koleos,” she said.