RENAULT, it seems, is playing the name game by making strong use of alliteration where its new models are concerned.

After Captur and Kadjar we now have Koleos, by far the largest and most spacious of the three and - in 4x4 spec - the best equipped for off-road work.

The first generation Koleos was the French company's first real venture into the softroader 4x4 market but it went out of production in 2010.

The latest one, which is based on the same platform as the very successful Nissan X-Trail, is a macho looking vehicle with an impressive amount of interior space.

In top-of-the-range Signature trim it comes with full leather seating, heated front seats, climate control, electrically operated panoramic sunroof, a powered tailgate, full LED headlights and extra tinted rear windows so you get a lot of car for your money.

In addition it's packed with the sort of hi-tech wizardry that more and more owners are demanding, including automatic headlights, lane departure warning, hill start assist, blind spot warning and traffic sign recognition.

The interior is smart and business-like with a large digital speedometer set in the centre of the rev counter immediately in front of the driver ensuring you know what speed you are doing at al times.

In the centre of the dashboard there's an iPad-style 8.7-inch touch screen to access the sat nav - which comes with European mapping - and most other on-board systems.

For a little bit more luxury an additional £400 buys you Renault's climate pack which includes heated rear seats, ventilated front seats for the summer, a heated steering wheel and - best of all - a heated windscreen.

The height of the Koleos means that from the driver's seat you have excellent all round vision making it easier to park such a large vehicle.

And unlike on most models with such large windscreens I was impressed to see sun visors deep enough to be affective no matter how low the sun is in the sky.

Despite its size the Koleos, with its 177bhp two-litre engine, is a surprisingly quick mover with impressive throttle response and plenty of torque.

Engine noise levels can be a bit high under pressure but quieten down at cruising speed.

The CVT automatic gearbox is smooth and efficient although often I found it easier to reduce the revs - and therefore the fuel consumption - by switching to manual mode and changing up a couple of gears.

On the road the Koleos offers a very comfortable ride making it ideal for long distance travel. It corners well but doesn't encourage you to be too ambitious on tight bends.

Beneath the powered tailgate you can cram in 579 litres of luggage extending to a whopping 1,795 litres with the rear seatbacks lowered making this chunky 4x4 an ideal family car.

Most people will probably never venture off-road in their Koleos but the four-wheel drive element is reassuring for winter as is the hill start assist.