Renault Samsung Motors to reveal six new cars

QM6 LPe vehicle by Renault Samsung Motors is seen in this photo. / Courtesy of Renault Samsung Motors

By Kim Jae-heun

2019 was a monumental year for Renault Samsung Motors. The car company collectively sold 177,450 vehicles at home and abroad. Its sport utility vehicle (SUV) QM6, in particular, took 54.8 percent of domestic sales alone to sell 47,640.

In last December, Renault Samsung Motors sold 7,557 QM6 vehicles, which became the bestselling domestic SUV that month. The recognition came only six months after the motor company initially launched a modified version of the mid-sized SUV.

Renault Samsung Motors attributes two factors to QM6's success: pursuing customer-oriented values and pioneering trends. According to the motor company, local customers are sensitive to market trends, which change quickly and unexpectedly. The successful launch of a vehicle such as the QM6 requires the company to stay in tune with consumer demand.

The motor company' said its decision to launch QM6 LPe, the country's very first SUV running on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), was a game changer in the market. Last month, the QM6 LPe took 64.9 percent in total sales of all QM6 models. This was possible due to the successful positioning of GDe, a gasoline running QM6 model, beforehand. Currently, the QM6 dCi model is chasing after QM6 LPe for the title of 'best-selling car' and stands a good chance, thanks to its fuel efficiency. The running cost of the QM6 dCi is 14.4 kilometers per liter.

Renault Samsung Motors have also started manufacturing its small-sized electric vehicle Twizy in the port city Busan. The motor company has been importing the electric car from Spain since last September. Last year, Twizy sales in Korea reached total 1,554 and 715 were exported.

This year, the motor company celebrates the 20th anniversary of its brand launch. Renault Samsung Motors is preparing a special plan to launch six new cars including XM3.

“In the first quarter of 2020, we will launch a crossover XM3 model that combines the strengths of sedans and SUVs. Also, we will present a fully-changed QM3 model as well as the third generation of the global bestselling electric car ZOE in the first half of this year,” Renault Samsung Motors CEO Dominic Senora said.