Renault has built the South Koreans a coupe/SUV thing

By topgear, 29 March 2019
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Welcome to another coupe/SUV thing, this time from Renault’s South Korean subsidiary - Renault Samsung Motors (yes, that Samsung).

Revealed at the Seoul Motor Show, the XM3 Inspire is essentially the production version of last year’s Arkana Concept. At the time we were told the Arkana was mainly for Russia, but now RSM says the XM3 will be launched in South Korea next year, and built locally at its factory in Busan - the country’s second-biggest city.

Renault’s design boss Laurens van den Acker says the XM3 “perfectly blends the athletic proportions of an SUV and their elegance of a sedan”. He said the design team “sought to create the most elegant vehicle in the world” to “mark the true design transformation of Renault Samsung Motors”. Hmm.

Either way, far as those coupe/SUV things, it’s not the worst one we’ve ever seen. Looks very much like a Renault from the front - albeit wearing an RSM badge - while the rear gets an almost full-width light bar not dissimilar to the Megane’s. No word on engines or transmissions, and no pics of the interior, but don’t expect anything radical.

Also don’t expect Renault to start selling this thing in Europe anytime soon. That disappoint you?