After a few issues with the French Government, Renault found themselves in the process of making more luxury cars. For an uncommon idea, it’s starting to look like inspiration could be coming from South Korea.
Going from making cheap hatchbacks to mid-level and luxury cars is something the Koreans have been doing brilliantly lately so Renault could learn quite a lot from their Samsung counterpart.
This is because Renault Samsung has jut finalized their flagship SM7’s unveiling and we’re flooded with details on the spec sheet this car comes with.
First things first, unlike neither Korean or French cars of recent, it sports a face that’s really appropriate for this segment of the market.
Dignified, imposing, presentable and generally looking like the sort of car that genuinely looks like it would feel at home in the business parks of the modern world.
The new Renault Samsung SM7 even does a great job of hiding its 70 mm increased dimensions and improved interior on top of the previous seven year old previous vehicle.
Under the bonnet, there’s a choice between two engines, one’s a 2.5 liter V6 and a larger 3.5 liter unit and both are connected to the same six speed automatic gearbox.
When it gets down to the nutty stuff, the 2.5 delivers 190 horsepower, 179 lb-ft of torque and a combined fuel economy of 26.1 mpg US, whearas the 3.5 liter unit has 258 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque and 22.6 mpg on the US cycle.
Both fuel economy figures stand for the combined cycle of testing although it’s not exactly the same system we’re all used with.
Even though the interior is of massive importance in this segment of the market Renault Samsung isn’t exactly ready to share the SM7’s details on this department.
Renault Samsung Motors CEO Jean-Marie Hurtiger made a very important point of how it’s part of the future, it will provide the ultimate motoring experience and it should be of radical effect on the big saloon car market.
This could be some sort of change in the way we perceive luxury and given the price Renault Samsung charges for the SM7 in Korea that could make for quite the interesting situation.
Koreans will be able to get the Renault Samsung SM7 for sums ranging between 30 and 39 million Korean won, that’s the equivalent of $28.000 and $36.600 at today’s exchange rates.
