Model made in South Korea uses Volvo's platform and targets luxury segment to reduce dependence on Europe
Renault kicked off its “international action plan” with a €3 billion investment to reduce its dependence on the European market. The central pillar of this strategy is the launch of the Renault Filante, a luxury SUV named after the brand’s historic record-breaking speed concept, the 1956 Étoile Filante .
The model arrives with the mission of competing in South Korea and the Middle East, positioning itself as a rival to consolidated premium SUVs, such as the Volvo XC90 and the Audi Q7. The choice of South Korea as the starting stage is not random. Unlike Europe, where compacts have a higher volume, the South Korean market concentrates about 60% of its sales in vehicles in the D and E segments (medium and large).
The French automaker’s strategy is to capture this demand for sophistication, offering a product that, according to Laurens van den Acker, head of design at the group, combines the grandeur of an SUV with the elegance of a sedan in its 4.92 meters in length.
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Mechanically, the Filante is the direct result of the industrial partnership with Geely. The model is built on the CMA modular platform, the same used by the Volvo XC40 and other vehicles of the Chinese group. The powertrain, although carrying Renault’s E-Tech seal, combines a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with electric powertrains, delivering a combined power of 247 hp and 56,5 kgfm of torque.
To meet the demands of the luxury consumer, engineering focused on acoustic refinement, implementing active noise cancellation systems. The interior follows the trend of total digitalization, with a panel dominated by three high-resolution screens.
The Filante is only the spearhead of a wider offensive. The expansion plan has also included models such as the Kardian and the unprecedented Boreal medium SUV for Latin America, as well as new variants of the Duster destined for Turkey and India. Renault’s goal is to globally replicate the “value over volume” strategy applied in Europe, seeking greater profitability per unit sold in more than 80 countries.
