Renault Korea Motors Co., the South Korean unit of French auto group Renault S.A., on Thursday unveiled the Grand Koleos, its new hybrid SUV, as the company aims to overcome its prolonged sales slump in the country.
Renault Korea’s new D-segment hybrid SUV made its debut at the 2024 Busan International Mobility Show. Comparable with Hyundai’s Santa Fe or Kia’s Sorento, the Grand Koleos is based on the compact modular architecture (CMA) platform, developed jointly by China’s Geely Auto and Volvo Cars.
It is Renault Korea’s first new model since the XM3, currently rebranded as the Arkana and introduced in 2020. The model will be produced at the company’s manufacturing plant in Busan and launched in the second half of the year in three trims.
The Grand Koleos boasts a family-friendly 4,780 millimeter body length and a 2,820 millimeter wheelbase, offering generous second-row space and comfortable leg room.
It also provides ample trunk loading space, capable of utilizing up to 2,034 liters when the rear seats
are folded down. The front grille features a pattern resembling Renault’s diamond emblem and the rear sports crystal 3D-type LED lamps.
The Grand Koleos is powered by a hybrid system combining a high-capacity 1.64 kWh battery, a dedicated 1.5 liter turbo gasoline engine and a multi-mode auto transmission.
It delivers a maximum output of 245 horsepower. When driven below 40 kph in urban environments, it can operate in electric mode for up to 75 percent of typical daily trips, the company said.
The interior features Renault’s openR multimedia system, consisting of three screens, which allows the front seat passenger to view various streaming services separate from the driver’s display.
Renault Korea CEO Stephane Deblaise said the Grand Koleos “perfectly embodies (Renault’s) core values for design, human-centric focus and modernity” and boasted that the company’s Busan plant is supported by over 200 local suppliers.
The unveiling of the Grand Koleos comes as Renault Korea has struggled to maintain its relev
ance in the South Korean market for some time. It has remained at fifth and last place in terms of market share among automakers with domestic manufacturing bases since April 2022.
Between January and May of this year, its market share stood at 1.8 percent.
To overcome sluggish sales, the company also launched a brand overhaul campaign this year. The company announced a change of its official corporate name from Renault Samsung Motors to the more simplified Renault Korea and also opened its first upscale flagship store in the country, named Renault Seongsu, in Seoul.
Source: Yonhap News Agency