2024.07.05
Renault Korea aims to make Busan a production hub
By Park Je-wan and
Yoon Yeon-hae, Pulse - Renault Korea Motors Co. plans to make its Busan plant a
production hub for D and E segment vehicles and pursue an aggressive export
strategy, according to its Chief Executive Officer Stephane Deblaise.
Renault Group is a
European-based automaker with strengths in the B and C segments, ranging from
small sports utility vehicles (SUVs) to mid-size sedans.
South Korea, on the
other hand, has a high demand for mid-size SUVs, such as the Sorento and Santa
Fe, leading to Renault Korea having well-established production facilities for
these vehicles.
From Renault Group‘s
perspective, a plant with advanced mid-size vehicle production technology is
needed to diversify its global market offerings, and Deblaise believes the
Busan plant fulfills this role perfectly.
“The
Busan plant is among the top three production plants under Renault Group,” he
said during an interview on the sidelines of the 12th Busan Mobility Show held
at BEXCO in Busan on Saturday, expressing his strong commitment to expanding
the export of models produced at the Busan plant to global markets.
“You
will see a lot of our new strategic premium SUV, Grand Koleos, produced at the
Busan plant in markets of other countries,” he added.
Deblaise emphasized
that Grand Koleos SUV, which was unveiled on the same day, has superior
marketability compared to its competitors.
“Using
Renault’s hybrid system ‘E-Tech,’ it has about 10 percent better fuel
efficiency than competitors,” he explained. “The three displays provided in the
driver and passenger seats are a clear differentiating point compared to other
models.“
”This
vehicle was fully designed for Korean customers,“ he added, noting the
significant attention the company paid to sound absorption and noise reduction
features, which are important to Korean customers.
Renault Korea also
plans to launch the coupe-style internal combustion engine SUV ‘Aurora 2’ in
2026 and the electric SUV ‘Aurora 3’ in 2027.