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Renault Samsung Motors is a South Korean automobile manufacturer headquartered in Pongmyeon-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Its production plant is located in Gangseo-gu, Busan, and its design center is in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. The company is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise and a member of the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association. The current President & CEO is Jean Marie Hurtiger, a French national.
Renault Samsung Motors is an important production base of the French Renault Group in South Korea. In the early stages of its establishment, it relied primarily on Nissan Motor's technical platforms for model development, with products covering sedans, SUVs, and commercial vehicles. Its product naming uses "SM" (Samsung Motors) as a prefix, retaining the brand genes of Samsung Motors.
It is worth noting that the name "Renault Samsung" has been gradually phased out since March 2022. The company adopted "Renault Korea Motors" (RKM) as its business name in March 2022 and completed the legal name change in August of the same year, in order to strengthen the strategic positioning of the Renault Group as being rooted in the Korean market and to unify its brand identity. However, due to the high recognition of the "Renault Samsung" name among Chinese consumers and industry researchers, the company is still commonly referred to by this name externally.
Renault Samsung Motors was formerly Samsung Motors. In 1994, Lee Kun-hee, then Chairman of Samsung Group, founded Samsung Motors, its original intention being: he believed the automobile industry is a convergence of achievements from various industries, and establishing an automotive department would help promote synergistic technology development among subsidiaries such as Samsung Electronics and Samsung Power under the Samsung Group. In 1998, Samsung Motors officially started selling its first models.
However, that year, the Asian financial crisis swept across South Korea, and Samsung Group was heavily impacted, with its capital chain becoming tight. Samsung Motors faced huge operational pressure, forcing the Samsung Group to seek external partners for a turnaround. In December 1998, Samsung Group launched negotiations with the French Renault Group.
On July 1, 2000, Renault Group acquired 70% equity of Samsung Motors for $512 million, officially establishing a joint venture -- Renault Samsung Motors. In September 2000, the transaction between Renault and Samsung Group was completed, and Renault Samsung became an important part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance in the Asian market. Renault stated that acquiring Samsung Motors was a key step for Renault to strengthen sales in the Asian market and achieve the strategic goal of 4 million units annual global production by 2010. Samsung Group retained a minority stake in it.
Under the framework of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Renault Samsung's products were mainly built based on Nissan's technical platforms. The SM5, launched based on the Nissan Cefiro platform, was the first iconic model launched by Renault Samsung in its early days. In the following decade-plus years, Renault Samsung built a complete product sequence covering compact to large sedans by "badge engineering" Nissan platform models. On the product line, Renault Samsung once covered compact sedan SM3, mid-size sedan SM5 and SM6, large sedan SM7, as well as QM3 compact SUV and QM6 mid-size SUV, additionally, the SM3 Z.E. pure electric vehicle was launched. The truck series included SV110 and Big Thumb series based on Nissan Atlas.
As of around 2024, all sedan models retaining the "SM" prefix have withdrawn from the product lineup.
In March 2022, Renault Samsung Motors Co., Ltd. launched a renaming procedure, changing the business name to "Renault Korea Motors" (Renault Korea Motors). This renaming aims to align the brand name of the Korean subsidiary with that of Renault Group and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, marking the beginning of strategic reshaping of Renault Group in the Korean market.
In May 2022, Geely Automobile Holdings announced signing a share subscription agreement with Renault Korea Motors, Geely invested to acquire 34% of the shares in Renault Korea, and the Geely side thus became one of the core shareholders of the company.
Starting from 2024, Renault Korea entered the stage where technical cooperation with Chinese Geely was fully implemented. In June 2024, Renault Korea officially launched the new Grand Koléos built based on Geely Monjaro (Xingyue L), this vehicle is the first Renault brand model developed based on Geely models. In January 2026, the new Filante crossover model was unveiled in Seoul, built on the CMA architecture, equipped with E-Tech full hybrid system, planned to be launched in South Korea in March of that year.
Renault Samsung's product line has undergone significant evolution in different periods, can be divided into three stages for comparative analysis.
In the early days, Renault Samsung relied on the technical advantages of the Renault-Nissan Alliance to build a sedan series prefixed with "SM" and an SUV series prefixed with "QM". Platform sources in the sedan field include: SM3 based on Nissan Bluebird Sylphy; SM5 and early SM5 based on Nissan Cefiro/Maxima and Nissan Teana; SM7 used Nissan Teana (Teana) as the base platform. In terms of SUVs, QM5 corresponds to Renault Koleos; in terms of trucks, it covered SV110 and Big Thumb series based on Nissan Atlas. This product strategy helped Renault Samsung quickly establish a product spectrum, but high dependence on Nissan technical platforms also limited its scope for product differentiation.
In March 2016, SM6 launched in South Korea. SM6 is a sister car of Renault Talisman, adopted Renault's new family design, marking the transition of Renault Samsung products from Nissan platforms to Renault's independent platforms. SM6 offers three power options: 2.0L gasoline, 1.6T hybrid, and 2.0L Petrol, matched with 6-speed manual or dual-clutch transmission, equipped with premium configurations such as diamond-stitched leather interior and 10-inch full LCD instrument cluster.
In terms of electrification, Renault Samsung launched the SM3 Z.E. pure electric vehicle in the South Korean market as early as 2013. As of May 2017, this car had cumulatively sold 2,536 units in the South Korean market, although the scale was not large, it was a sign that Renault Samsung took early steps in electrification exploration.
After Geely became the strategic shareholder with 34% stake in Renault Korea, Renault Korea's product strategy underwent a fundamental transformation. Previously based sedan product lines on Nissan platform sources (SM3/SM5/SM6/SM7) have all been discontinued, replaced by a new SUV lineup based on Geely platforms, mainly covering the following models.
Grand Koléos : This is the first heavyweight product launched after Geely invested, launched in South Korea in June 2024. Grand Koléos is directly built on Geely Monjaro (Xingyue L), length 4.78 meters, positioned as E-class (mid-to-large SUV), equipped with 2.0L turbocharged gasoline engine (211 hp) or 245 hp hybrid system--latter adopts a combination of 1.5L four-cylinder turbocharged engine (144 hp) and two electric motors.
Filante: Released in January 2026, Built on CMA architecture, equipped with upgraded E-Tech full hybrid system, and introduced three technologies first applied to Renault models, including emergency steering assist, planned to be launched in South Korea in March 2026, subsequently promoted to some Latin American and Gulf States markets. This vehicle is produced at the Renault Samsung factory in Busan, along with the current Renault Grand Koléos built on Geely Monjaro, constitutes the brand's main product array in the SUV sub-segment.
In 2025, Renault Korea's performance in the domestic South Korean market was commendable. Domestic sales in South Korea reached 52,271 units for the whole year, year-on-year growth reaching 31.3%, ranking third among South Korea's five major automakers (Hyundai, Kia, GM Korea, KG Mobility (formerly SsangYong), Renault Korea), market share was approximately 3.8%.
From a global perspective, Renault Korea's global sales in 2025 were 88,044 units, down 17.7% year-on-year, among which overseas sales decline was more significant, down 46.7% year-on-year to 1,978 units. This contrast indicates: Renault Korea's growth momentum in 2025 mainly came from the release of demand in the South Korean domestic market, overseas export business was affected by the dual influence of global supply chain adjustment and production structure adjustment.
Looking at the monthly data from 2025, Renault Korea's sales trend fluctuated significantly. In September, domestic South Korean EV sales grew year-on-year by more than double, Renault Korea's sales that month stood out among all Korean car companies. In October, affected by the Korean Chuseok holiday period, Renault Korea's single-month sales decreased from the previous month's 6,395 units to 3,810 units, the decline was significant, but this belongs to an industry-wide seasonal correction, not a structural recession within Renault Korea itself.
Throughout the first 10 months of 2025, benefiting from the good performance of Grand Koléos Hybrid and Scenic E-Tech EV models, Renault Korea's South Korean domestic cumulative sales increased from 25,437 units in the same period last year to 43,925 units, year-on-year growth of 73%, the fastest growing brand among South Korea's five major car companies in the same period.
In the domestic sales ranking of South Korea's five major car companies, Hyundai Motor ranked first with 712,954 units for the full year of 2025, Kia ranked second with 545,776 units, while the third-ranked Renault Korea with 52,271 units far led the fourth-ranked KG Mobility (40,249 units) and fifth-ranked GM Korea (15,094 units).
Compared with the global average growth rate, Renault Korea's South Korean domestic sales growth rate (+31.3%) significantly led the overall passenger car market growth rate (+0.7%), showing that the new product lineup has obtained preliminary market validation effects from two angles: product upgrades and market demand.
CMA Platform (Compact Modular Architecture) is the core technical basis for cooperation between Renault Korea and Geely. The platform was jointly developed by Geely and Volvo, known for high flexibility and multi-power compatibility, supporting fuel, hybrid, and pure electric and other power forms. Renault Korea launched models such as Filante and Grand Koléos based on the CMA architecture, achieving the integration and implementation of independent platform technologies outside the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
E-Tech is a hybrid technology brand independently developed by the Renault Group, widely applied in Renault Korea's new models. The E-Tech systems installed on Filante and Grand Koléos adopt a series-parallel hybrid configuration, achieving a balance in fuel economy and power response. The E-Tech system applied in the new Filante models is an upgraded version, supporting finer efficiency optimization control.
In 2023, the Renault Group and Geely established a joint venture company Horse, each holding 50% shares, jointly developing the next generation of high-efficiency hybrid systems (including internal combustion engine and hybrid), Saudi Aramco joined the joint venture platform as a strategic shareholder. The technical results of this cooperation directly provided power sources for Renault Korea models. For example, the 245 hp hybrid system of Grand Koléos is exactly the result of technical cooperation under the Horse joint venture between Renault and Geely.
In the field of power batteries, Renault Korea is deeply tied with LG Energy Solution. Their cooperation relationship started in 2013, the first model in Renault Group history to mount LG Energy Solution batteries on mass-produced models was Renault Samsung's SM3 electric vehicle. Since then, LG Energy Solution has continued to serve as Renault Group's core strategic battery supplier globally. Renault Korea CEO clearly stated that the first principle of the company in its electrification strategy in South Korea is "local solutions, establishing a competitive battery ecosystem in South Korea", continuously deepening battery supply synergy with LG.
At the group level, Renault released the new generation RGEV Medium 2.0 platform for C-segment electric vehicles, supporting 800V electrical architecture, achieving 10-minute ultra-fast charging, adapting to multiple vehicle types and battery types, maximum range up to 750 kilometers. This platform plays a core role in the technical route of the next generation C-segment electric vehicles, its technical results are expected to be localized and applied to the Asia-Pacific market through Renault Korea.
Renault Korea's Busan factory is Renault Group's most important Asian production base globally. The factory's annual production capacity is 300,000 complete vehicles. The Busan factory not only supplies automotive demand in the South Korean domestic market but is also responsible for exporting vehicles to multiple global regional markets.
After Geely became a shareholder, Renault Korea gradually shifted the focus of export markets from European markets. With the import of Renault Arkana (called XM3 in the local South Korean market) in Europe stopped, the Busan factory has been transformed into a production base serving only the South Korean domestic market and non-European overseas markets (mainly Latin America, Middle East, and Gulf states). This export direction change means: Renault Korea's international business will no longer prioritize serving European consumers but targeting non-European third-party countries and regions.
The Filante model released in January 2026, after launching in the South Korean domestic market, will then be promoted to some Latin American and Gulf state markets. This indicates that Renault Korea is purposefully developing non-European incremental markets such as Latin America and the Middle East. The new strategy 'futuREady' released by Renault Group in March 2026 also explicitly listed South Korea as one of the three major overseas development key markets globally (alongside India and South America), Renault plans to promote sustained growth in the Asian market by further expanding production scale and product lineup in South Korea.
In the resource allocation within Renault Group, the Busan factory was established as the group's only production base specifically for producing medium and large (D-segment and E-segment) vehicles. This factory can satisfy domestic consumption demand in South Korea and has large-scale capacity to provide medium and large export vehicles for the global market. In January 2025, the Busan factory underwent a large-scale upgrade, achieving the capability to mix produce internal combustion engine vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and pure electric vehicles on the same production line. As of now, the base has mass production capability for pure electric vehicles, laying the foundation for the realization of Renault brand pure electric whole vehicles in South Korea in the future.
Looking ahead, Renault Korea is at a critical stage of transformation from a subsidiary with an OEM-like nature into an important strategic hub for the Renault Group in the Asia-Pacific region. The following five directions outline the brand's development path.
Complete Product Line Renewal
After the sedan product line was fully retired, Renault Korea's product lineup has successfully shifted its focus to SUVs. In 2026, the launch of the Filante and the continued strong promotion of the Grand Koléos will accelerate the brand's recovery in the South Korean market. Starting in 2026, Renault Korea plans to gradually expand its product lineup in the South Korean market to meet new demand in sub-segments with more new models, including pure electric models planned for the next stage. The Renault Group has clarified in its "futuREady" strategy that it will launch 36 new models globally before 2030, some of which will be produced locally in South Korea.
Pure Electric Vehicle Plan
Renault Korea is accelerating the local rollout of pure electric vehicles. The CEO of Renault Korea revealed that a new pure electric model targeted for launch in 2027 is currently in preparation and will be a true pure electric vehicle. Since early 2025, the Busan factory has possessed the capability to simultaneously produce fuel, hybrid, and pure electric vehicles. The factory is currently also producing the Polestar 4 pure electric vehicle for Polestar on an OEM basis, demonstrating that it has mature manufacturing process capabilities for mid-to-high-end pure electric vehicles. In the future, Renault brand's own pure electric vehicle models will achieve mass production and be promoted in the local market.
Continued Deepening of the Battery Strategy
In the electrification process of Renault Korea, LG Energy Solution will continue to play the role of a core battery supply partner. The CEO of Renault Korea has stated that the two parties have established a long-term, deep strategic synergy and will continue to promote electrification transformation based on the South Korean domestic battery supply chain in the future. On this basis, EV cost control and local ecosystem development will be the core competitiveness focus for Renault Korea in the coming years.
Synergistic Development Based on Group Strategy
Under the guidance of the Renault Group's "futuREady" strategy, the Renault brand aims to achieve 100% electrification in Europe by 2030 and a 50% electrification ratio in overseas markets. As the Renault Group's most important overseas production base in Asia, the electrification transformation rhythm of the Korean subsidiary will be aligned with the group globally, with the proportion of pure electric models rising year by year.
Full Brand Localization and Differentiation
After the strategic evolution from Samsung Motors to Renault Samsung and then to Renault Korea Motors, the brand will strive to eliminate the brand alienation left over from the Samsung era and establish a clear local brand identity consistent with the Renault Group's global image. Although the word "Samsung" has been removed from the legal name, the industry and Korean consumers will continue to focus on its product series and performance for a long time to come. How to shape a new "Renault Korea" brand image in the South Korean domestic market, and how to leverage the technical resources of the Renault Group, the platform capabilities of Geely, and the battery support of LG to create a significant gap with GM Korea and KG Mobility while narrowing the competitive gap with Hyundai-Kia, will be the core challenge determining its future market position.
Final Thoughts
Over more than 30 years of brand development, Renault Samsung (now Renault Korea) has completed its strategic transformation from Samsung's Korean car-making dream to a global platformized operation. Relying on product upgrades in the medium and large SUV segment, deep technical integration with Geely, a clear path for pure electric transformation, and a well-defined battery localization strategy, this South Korean carmaker is steadily moving toward greater technological autonomy and global competitiveness.
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