Renault Korea CEO: Filante to drive next export push

Exports from Busan to start this year, with Latin America, Middle East in focus

Renault Korea CEO Nicolas Paris speaks during a group interview on Tuesday at a hotel in Seoul. (Renault Korea)

Free from direct exposure to the US-driven tariff war but hit by weakening demand in its overseas markets and Renault Group’s shift toward profitability over volume, Renault Korea is betting on the Filante crossover to revive exports and broaden its global footprint.

According to Renault Korea CEO Nicolas Paris, the company plans to begin exporting the newly launched model by the end of this year, with Latin America and the Middle East designated as priority markets. Speaking during a group interview Tuesday at a hotel in Seoul, Paris said the automaker is also “exploring opportunities in additional markets, including Australia, but no decisions have been finalized yet.”

Calling exports an “important pillar,” Paris said the company views any market with a D- or E-segment presence — mid- to large-size passenger SUVs — as a potential export destination, subject to tariff conditions.

For Korea, Filante will launch in March with a two-wheel-drive configuration, while export versions will include four-wheel drive depending on market demand.

Last year, Renault Korea sold a total of 52,271 vehicles in Korea, up 31.3 percent from the previous year. The increase was primarily driven by the strong growth of its flagship SUV, the Grand Koleos, which posted sales of 40,877 units. By contrast, overseas sales fell sharply to 35,773 units, down 46.7 percent.

At the center of Renault Korea’s export expansion plan is its Busan plant, which can now handle mixed production of internal combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles following a major facility upgrade in January 2025 This has enabled the plant to contract-manufacture the Polestar 4 electric SUV. It also features a roughly 60 percent localization of vehicle components.

Korea is one of the key markets driving the French automaker’s diversification efforts outside Europe. Under the Aurora project, the Korean unit successfully debuted the Grand Koleos and is now looking to sustain that momentum with the Filante. The project aligns with Renault’s International Game Plan 2027, which targets eight new models by 2027 from five global hubs.

Compared with the Grand Koleos SUV, the Filante is longer — measuring 4.92 meters in length and making it Renault Korea’s longest model to date, Paris noted. The crossover enhances ride comfort with a lounge-like cabin, stronger driving performance and an advanced AI personal assistant.

“Grand Koleos mainly targets families in their 30s and 40s who prefer SUVs, whereas Filante is designed for customers seeking a more premium, luxurious experience with larger interior space,” said Paris.

Though Renault Korea has typically maintained a price advantage over market leaders Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, the limited-edition Filante, priced above 50 million won, is expected to compete more directly with rival models such as Hyundai’s Palisade and Kia’s Sorento.

Choi Sung-kyu, head of research and development at Renault Korea, stressed that one of the Filante’s key advantages over competing models is that it is a truly “Korea-tailored” vehicle, developed by actively reflecting accumulated customer feedback from its previous flagship, the Grand Koleos.

While the Filante retains the Volvo-Geely Compact Modular Architecture under Renault’s partnership with Geely, customer feedback on the Grand Koleos highlighted a lack of passing power at high speeds.

Choi said Renault Korea addressed this through in-house tuning, boosting engine torque from 230 to 250 newton-meters and output from 106 to 110 horsepower. The company also sharpened E-Tech hybrid pedal response to deliver stronger acceleration in the 2,500-3,500 revolutions-per-minute range.