Renault Koleos SUV Refreshed for the 2012 Model Year

It’s only three years old, but it’s apparently time for the Renault Koleos compact SUV to receive its first facelift. The changes include an exterior makeover and new interior trim, plus noticeable CO2 and fuel consumption savings in the case of the crossover model’s range of diesel powerplants.

The first thing you’ll notice on the updated model is the brand new fascia, evidently inspired by the newly launched Latitude sedan, which like the Koleos, is the product of Renault Samsung Motors in Busan, South Korea.

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Renault Samsung Debut New SM7 Saloon in South Korea

The Renault-Nissan alliance’s South Korean subsidiary Samsung has presented the production version of its SM7 sedan model, which was displayed as a thinly disguised concept car at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show this past April.

Putting aside some minor details such as the lower parts of the front and rear bumpers, and the less extravagant choice of alloy wheels, nothing else has changed from the concept model.

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Renault-Samsung Shows SM7 Pre-Production Concept

After last month's teaser sketch, Renault's Korean subsidiary Samsung unveiled the SM7 Concept at the Seoul Motor Show. In essence, it’s a pre-production design study that previews the next generation of Renault Samsung's flagship model, the SM7.

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Renault Samsung SM7 Concept Teased ahead of Seoul Motor Show

Renault's South Korean brand Samsung released a teaser sketch of the SM7 concept car that previews the next-generation of the firm’s large sedan. The current SM7, which is built on Nissan’s J31 platform that underpins the Asian market Nissan Teana and the sixth-generation of the North American Nissan Maxima, has been on the market since 2004. Read more »

Renault Revives Safrane Nameplate with a New Luxury Sedan

French carmaker Renault has revealed a new mid-size luxury sedan that revives the Safrane nameplate after an eight year hiatus. The original Safrane was a rather bluntly styled 5door executive saloon built from 1992 to 2000 that was replaced in the European market by the ill-received Vel Satis. However, the new Safrane, which as you may have already noticed is virtually a rebadged version of the Renault Samsung Motors SM5 sedan, won’t be sold in Europe as the French firm plans to sell it exclusively in the Gulf States where it will be offered with a V6 engine matted to an automatic gearbox. -Continued

Like the Samsung SM5, the new Safrane is manufactured in Renault Samsung Motors’ Busan plant in South Korea, an 80.1% owned subsidiary of the Renault group. The Samsung SM5 is developed on the same platform as the Nissan Teana and the North American Nissan Maxima.

Thanks for the tip Omar N.!