Renault Korea (CEO Stepan De Vleze)'s mid-size SUV Grand Koleos won the 'SUV of the Year' award at the 2025 Korea Car of the Year (K-COTY) ceremony held on the 20th at Sebit Island in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
The Korea Automobile Journalists Association selects vehicles in eight institutional sectors through three rounds of evaluations each year for new cars launched in the country. Grand Koleos secured the 'SUV of the Year' title during the final evaluation held at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATRI) in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, on the 6th.
Chosen as the SUV of the Year, Grand Koleos was first unveiled at the 2024 Busan Mobility Show last year, surpassing 10,000 units in cumulative sales in the shortest time among new cars in the brand's history. As of January, more than 24,000 units have been sold, achieving strong performance.
The Grand Koleos E-Tech HYBE hybrid offers powerful driving performance based on a robust dual-motor system with a leading class output of 245 horsepower and a certified combined fuel efficiency of 15.7 km/l (based on Techno trim 19" tires). The Grand Koleos 2.0 gasoline turbo also boasts impressive power with a maximum output of 211 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and maximum torque of 33.2 kg·m at 2,000–4,500 rpm, along with a certified combined fuel efficiency of 11.1 km/l (based on 19" and 20" tire 2WD models).
In addition, the Grand Koleos has received praise from domestic consumers for its high safety standards and spacious, comfortable interior. It features the longest wheelbase of 2,820 mm among competitor models in its class, providing ample rear seat and knee space, and employs advanced NVH reduction technology for a comfortable and quiet cabin. The vehicle's structure is composed of 18% ultra-high-strength 'Hot Press Forming (HPF)' components, and it is equipped with up to 31 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and convenience features to enhance safety.
Moreover, the Grand Koleos is equipped with the first-ever openR panoramic screen extending to the passenger seat in a domestic model, allowing passengers to access video content from various channels such as YouTube and cinema OTT services through the Naver Whale browser while on the move. Starting from 2025, customers will receive unlimited 5G data free of charge for five years, enabling the Grand Koleos' hotspot feature to connect unlimited 5G data with various electronic devices and Wi-Fi communication.
On that day, Director Lim Seok-won, the overall development engineer of Renault Korea Grand Koleos, noted, "Grand Koleos is a vehicle completed with extensive global collaboration and the passion of domestic researchers under Renault Group's core value of Human-First philosophy" and added, "We will continue to do our best in research to introduce technologies and automobiles that exceed customer expectations."
The Grand Koleos also demonstrated excellent product value by simultaneously winning the 'Hybrid SUV of the Year' and 'Internal Combustion Engine SUV of the Year' awards at the 2025 Korea Car of the Year award ceremony held by the Korea Automobile Specialized Journalists Association (AWAK) on the 18th.
[OSEN=Reporter Kang Hee-soo]