Renault-Samsung poised to enter PH Market

The local automotive industry has been very active lately. With more and more brands in the market, it seems like an exciting year despite the NCoV scare and global slowdown.

There’s another new player in the market, poised to be launched at the upcoming Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) 2020 this April 2nd. Initially dubbed as brand “KFC,” organizers of the MIAS announced this latest debut brand yesterday in its exhibitor briefing held at Hotel Jen in Pasay City. “KFC” curiously stands for Korean-French Carmaker and doesn’t allude to the popular fried chicken restaurant chain.

Renault Samsung Motors (RSM) is a South Korean car manufacturer based in Busan with just one manufacturing site for now but with offices in Seoul for administration and in Giheung (for research and development) and Daegu (vehicle testing).

It started as Samsung Motors in 1994 with a technical partnership with Nissan. By 1998, it began selling its vehicles, and in September 2000, it became a subsidiary of Renault and adopted its present name, Renault Samsung with Samsung maintaining a minority ownership. The RSM brand has a collection of passenger vehicles including electric vehicles.

One of the first models slated to be introduced at the MIAS will be the QM6, also known as the Renault Koleos in other markets. It is a compact crossover SUV and this nameplate was first presented as a concept vehicle in Geneva Motor Show 2000. The first generation model was designed by Renault and jointly developed with Nissan and most of the production came from the RSM Busan plant.

Subsequent face-lifted models came after 2011, and a second generation model was unveiled at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show, using its Renault-Nissan Common Module Family platform.