Shanghai, May 25 (Gasgoo.com) Since it was launched to the China market in mid-April, the all-new Koleos, Renault's first crossover SUV model, has been well received by Chinese buyers. The 33 Renault dealerships across China have got nearly 1,600 orders for the Koleos SUV, much more than expected, sina.com reported.

Renault China said it has set a higher sales target for Koleos and has revised its product supply and customer service plans. Sales of the Koleos SUV are expected to top 5,000 units by the end of this year, said a sales executive of the Renault import division in China. Renault will extend the two-year guarantee to three years and reduce the prices of auto parts.

There are four Koleos SUV models imported to the Chinese market, with selling prices starting from 242,000 yuan ($35,500). As Renault's first-ever SUV, the Renault Koleos was first presented as a concept car at the 2006 Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris. It is manufactured by Renault Samsung Motors at its plant in Busan, South Korea.

The Koleos features the four-wheel-drive (FWD) system and comes equipped with either a dCi 150 engine or a dCi 175 engine, and a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox for choice. It mainly vies with locally made Toyota RAC4 and Honda CRV in China's SUV market, and is also likely to be made in China for the local market.

This year Renault has restarted its auto import strategy in China, where the Laguna sedan was launched in late February. In the Chinese market, Renault will be positioned as a leisure luxury brand, and will bring in 14 models including sub-1.6L cars in the next three years.

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