Although it seems like an amalgamation of an automobile and a television, Renault Samsung has been operating in South Korea since 1994, where it was established as Samsung Motors. It wasn’t until 2000 that Renault bought 70% of the company and the name became amalgamated.
One of the company’s latest vehicles is the SM5, which was released to the Korean market in December, 2009.
The spies at Pavle.com.au have photographed Renault Samsung testing the SM5 in exclusive Australia spy photos. It is believed Renault Samsung is testing a 2.5-litre V6 from the Renault range to work with the SM5 via a CVT transmission. The engine is believed to be a variant of the VQ25DE, which is yet to be released in the SM5.
CarAdvice spoke with Renault Australia’s Managing Director, Rudi Koenig. Mr Koenig said
From time to time Renault tests a number of its’ future models here in Australia….they are not always models planned to be launched here.
When quizzed about whether the vehicle would be released locally, Mr Koenig said
At this stage no announcement has been made regarding SM5.
In the Korean market, the SM5 is priced alongside Hyundai and Kia, offering high-specification fitments and affordable pricing. If released for the Australian market, it would offer customers the chance to step into a Renault product, without the French price tag.
Renault Samsung announced that its sales had jumped a staggering 89.4% on this time last year, with exports increasing 100% and local product sales increasing by some 75.9%. Industry rumours have suggested right-hand-drive markets are an opportunity for the Korean based manufacturer to further improve sales.
CarAdvice will keep you posted with any further developments regarding both Renault Samsung and the potential local introduction of the brand.
With all the temp sensors everywhere, looks like they mainly want to test the aircon
The tail-lights are quite reminiscent of the new Focus sedan.
this predates the new focus though
Hence I said reminiscent.
Which means the tail lights on the new Focus would be reminiscent of this car, not the other way around.
I know it came out first! I’m saying they remind me of the Focus sedan’s tail lights. I don’t need a timeline to tell me that.
Hyundai and Kia have got their quality control pretty much sorted out nowdays. Daewoo might be turning the corner as we speak, and Ssangyong is still lost in the wilderness with hit and / or miss quality.
Question is: How well put together will a Samsung car be? What grade of material will be used? Will they be a direct competitor with Hyundai, or Ssangyong?
From what we understand, the interior is a relative replica of the Renault Laguna.
Hazard a guess, it would be built similarly to the Laguna. I test drove a Laguna Estate a few months ago and was very impressed with the build quality and the car overall.
If the brand was to be launched in Australia, it would provide interesting competition to both the local and foreign models.
I like it, French design with a Korean price.
If the Australian distributors can resist the temptation to give it a premium price, and place it neck to neck with the Sonata it could do very well.
(is it a Sonata or Grandeur competitor?)
It will have the challenge of badge recognition, but Samsung seem to make reasonable well put together electronics, My Samsung mobile phone has survived much longer than I thought it would in harsh conditions. If the cars are as durable as their electronics it could be good.
You guys dont get it its a renault. Its jut that Renault bought out samsung. Its not a samsung, its a renault. Most vehicles in the current line up were made under the current set up. But nice car either way.
We already get the Renault Koleos SUV from South Korea, which is sold there as the Renault-Samsung QM5 and so far the quality of the vehicles are up to scratch and are competitive with the competition.
I don’t think we would have anything to worry about.
Guys, this is basically a Renault Laguna sedan, but with uniquely styled front and rear ends.
Nice find though!! Looks great as a sedan.
This could be another example of Renault taking the advantage of importing products from South Korea. The sooner they do this, the better it will be for them to sell more Renaults in Australia more competitively.
Not sure if they can badge it as a ‘Laguna’ here, would make sense, but having a different face compared to the Laguna hatch and wagon, they could go for another name?
The XTrail diesel is made by Samsung (under license from Renault) too I believe. They make some pretty good earthmoving gear and large ships too. Cant be any worse than Daewoo. Hopefully the Koreans can improve on the french quality, the french can design stuff ok but actually building something that doesnt fall apart is another story.
Samsung, in fact, have nothing to do with Renault Samsung. Renault have bought RS’s majority ownership some 10 years ago ans since then Samsung have never been involved in its management.
Renault are simply using the brand ‘samsung’ to attract more customers because it is a household name in south korea.
Samsung do make oil tankers worth billions of $$$$ but sadly had to give up their car manufacturing business long time ago due to financial constraints.
edit: Renault are simply using the brand ’samsung’ to attract more customers because it is a household name in the world.
This is Samsung, not Renault. Renault just reabadged it. Koleos is Samsung QM5, Fluence is Samsung QM3, and this is not named yet (for Renault), but its originally a Samsung (SM5).
Like what Holden did with Daewoo. Simple !
Renault bought 70% of the company and the name became amalgamated. So when Renault Samsung needed a replacement for the ageing SM5 they took the Laguna, changed the boot to that of a sedan (the Laguna is a liftback) and changed a bit of the styling (front end, rear end, new wheels, slightly different interior) and made the brand new SM5 sedan. Its very much just a Laguna in disguise.
The same thing with the Koleos becoming the QM5, the same as the Mégane hatch being the base for the SM3 sedan (and then Renault then went back to the Mégane hatch, changed styling and made a sedan we now know as the Fluence).
guys, FYI,
it’s either
RENAULT + samsung
or
NISSAN + samsung
or RENAULT + NISSAN = samsung
depends on the model,
and RE: these “spy shots”
just check the website,
nissan maxima bla bla…
and have a read of their history about what happen to samsung motors, now called renault samsung, renaultsamsungm.com/main/index.jsp
thanks,
just think of it as a
french guy born in korea eating sushi.
(click to show comment)
What makes you think this model is worse than the previous generation?
The new sm5 has already been around about 3 months in South Korea. The local motring press and shoppers have been vastly disappointed with the new model.
There was no improvement at all in engine power and torque from the old one; its 2.0 petrol still has 142 horses (what kW is this?) while the Sonata has already upgraded it to 165.
Fuel economy isn’t impressive at all either with only 8.26/100km. This sort of number is for 2.4 petrol not 2.0 these days(the Accord 2.4 has 8.8)
The old model, which was basically the last-gen Maxima, at least had a better transmission. The current CVT curtails power delivery from the already underpowered 2.0 motor. One of the local road tests measured actual horse power to be only 116, which means 26 horses lost during deliever to the wheels. This was similar to that of the Cerato, which had 113 actual horse power.
Samsung should have got the current model Maxima for their new sm5 not the medicore Laguna. The Maxima is a better performer pretty much in everything than the Laguna.
To calculate KW from horses, take the number of horses (142), divide by 1.34 and it will give the rough (it might be off by a small amount) answer, which is 106Kw. Same as 500 horses is around 373kw.
Thanks Baddass for that.
Using your formula, the new sm5′s output is only 106kw while the equivalent sonata has 123kw.
Actually, you don’t even need to bring the new Sonata to the comparison. The Cruze’s 1.8 performs slightly better than this Renault Samsung
And don’t forget the lazy CVT that takes away19kw from this already sturuggling engine during delivery to wheels. Every car loses some of its kw during power delivery but not as much as this Renault samsung.
and what does that have to do with australian testing of the 2.5l V6…?
well said…
even the wheels are nissan
this thing looks old hat already
Before you all get your kniickers in a twist. We are gong to get the Renault Fluence which is essentially a booted Megane. The most recent Renault Megane sedans came from Turkey where the Fluence is now produced and is due to be sold any day now throughout Europe.
The fluence is a better bet as it will, in its EV form, be the car sold under the Better Places electric car scheme.
Just what we need here, ANOTHER brand on our market….
But at $19,990 driveaway for a loaded/luxo with leather and all electrics etc auto-tranny model *might* find some interest.
What you need to import Koenig is Dacia, before the few remaining Renault dealers hand back there franchise’s.