XM3 INSPIRE: a future elegant and distinctive coupé SUV for Renault Samsung Motors
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Groupe Renault dares with an SUV coupé!
SUVs are a planetary phenomenon. To stand out from the crowd, some of them, especially on the premium market, feature distinctive body styling and a tapered roof line. These models are referred to as coupés SUV, innovative vehicles combining the elegance of a sedan, the athleticism of a coupé and the robustness of an SUV. This design choice strikes a perfect balance between an SUV and a dynamic sedan, with no compromises on cabin space and load capacity.
Until now, no mainstream carmaker has dared to move in to the coupé SUV segment with an international model. Groupe Renault has decided to rewrite the rule book and become the first mainstream carmaker to launch a vehicle in this category in several markets. Its coupé SUV will contribute to its international expansion, as set out in the Drive the Future strategic plan.
Inspired by Renault ARKANA
The Renault Samsung Motors XM3 INSPIRE show car presented at the Seoul Motor Show is based on the Renault ARKANA show car unveiled last year at the Moscow International Motor Show.
The two cars share the same coupé-SUV body styling and proportions. The upper part is all about sedan elegance, with a high waist line, a cut-off roof line, chrome window surrounds, and a panoramic glass roof. The lower part conveys a sense of robustness, with emphatic ground clearance, 19-inch wheels, and a twin tailpipe in aluminum for a sportier aspect.
The XM3 INSPIRE show car, revealed today by Renault Samsung Motors, unveils the lines of a future vehicle perfectly blending the athletic proportions of an SUV and the elegance of a sedan. With the clear objective of meeting the expectations of our customers in South Korea, we sought to create the most elegant vehicle in the world, an emblematic model that will mark the true design transformation of Renault Samsung Motors.
Laurens van den Acker – Senior Vice President Corporate Design, Groupe Renault
« Something distinctive, Something special »
Previewing a production model intended for the South Korean market, the XM3 INSPIRE show car was reinterpreted by Renault Design Asia and the teams at Renault Samsung Motors. Expressing an innovative and prestigious concept, it ushers in a new design era for RSM.
The model stands apart from ARKANA through its pearlescent white body paint, the modernity and elegance of which is underscored by touches of orange on the grille, the lower doors, and the rear bumper. It is also distinguished by the specific design of its grille, front and rear bumpers, lower doors and wheels. The LED headlights ideally enhance the C-Shape light signature embodying Renault Samsung Motors’ design DNA and also found on the SM6 and QM6 models.
More than any other model, the XM3 INSPIRE show car perfectly corresponds to RSM’s new brand campaign launched last month, “Something distinctive, something special”. The production model will be built at the Busan plant and launched in first-half 2020.