Samsung switching from Nissan to Renault platforms

Samsung’s QM5 SUV (pictured), which went on sale late last year, was one of the first cars to be developed under the newly formed Renault-Samsung partnership. Before that, Samsung’s automotive unit relied on platforms and whole cars supplied by Nissan. According to latest reports, the QM5 is just the first of a host of new models to be based on Renault designs, in this case the new Koleos SUV.

Future models developed under the Renault-Samsung partnership will be based on Renault’s other designs, with cars like the Megane II and recently launched Laguna III expected to spawn several new models. The current ‘SM’ series of cars are based on platforms shared with Nissan but from 2009 onwards the SM cars will feature French running gear.

Speaking with Automotive News, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said that he wanted South Korea to become “hub of Renault in Asia” and that “this will facilitate a lot of exports from Korea."

New products will bolster Renault Samsung, but no high-end luxury vehicle is coming, Ghosn said. However, other models in the pipeline include a possible Samsung version of the Renault Espace MPV that could enter production by the end of the decade.

Renault Koleos