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.

The production version is set to be introduced in South Korea in the second half of the year as a replacement for the current SM7, which is based on the aging Nissan J31 platform (also used by the Asian Nissan Teana and the North American Nissan Maxima). The new SM7, however, will be based on an elongated SM5 platform.

The D-segment sedan has been developed in collaboration with the Renault-Nissan Alliance. The SM7 Concept's lines are modern with the front dominated by a massive trapezoidal grille, a bulging hood and teardrop-shaped LED headlights. The car's profile features a third lateral window, an element also found on the current SM7. The rear features two large oval exhausts, but its most striking pieces are the thin boomerang-shaped taillights united by a very long third brake light.

Although the car premiered in Seoul, there are no interior pictures available and technical information is missing as well. The Samsung SM7 will compete on the Korean market against the Hyundai Grandeur and the Kia K7.

Renault currently sells in Europe the Latitude, which is a rebadged SM5. When the Latitude was launched, the company stressed that it was not a replacement for the VelSatis. This makes one wonder whether the French company could bring the SM7 to Europe and badge it as a VelSatis or a Safrane.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Renault Samsung Motors Rolls Out Flagship SM7, Releases New Photos and Video

The South Korean unit of Renault has come out with full details on its new SM7 flagship sedan a week before the car officially goes on sale in the country.

The French carmaker, which bought a 70% stake in Samsung Motors back in 2000 to spearhead the brand's expansion efforts in the developing Asian region, said the SM7 will have a "radical effect on the big saloon car market".

Developed over a time of 32 months, with R&D investments reaching some 400 billion South Korean won (€207 million), Renault Samsung Motors' new sedan model enters the local market seven years after the launch of the original, Nissan Maxima-based SM7 in 2004.

The new SM7 has grown in size offering improved interior space over its predecessor. According to the company, knee room for rear passengers is up by more than 70mm over the previous SM7.

Renault Samsung Motor's newest creation is powered by the third generation of the Nissan VQ engine series. The SM7 can be specified with one of two VQ engines: a 2.5-liter V6 delivering 190HP and 243Nm (179.3 lb-ft) that returns a combined fuel economy of 9lt/100km (26.1 mpg US), and a 3.5-liter V6 producing 258HP and 330Nm (243.4 lb-ft), which returns 10.4lt/100km (22.6 mpg US) on the combined cycle.

Both engines are hooked up to a standard six-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift function.

Renault Samsung Motors CEO Jean-Marie Hurtiger had this to say about the firm's new flagship model:

"[The] All-New SM7 is Renault Samsung Motors' new flagship and delivers everything customers expect of a big premium saloon, including refined, luxurious styling, exceptional quality, and outstanding comfort and driving pleasure thanks to the contribution of the Renault-Nissan Alliance's world class technological expertise. All-New SM7 will set new standards in Korea's big family saloon car market."

The company said prices for new SM7 range from 30 to 39 million Korean won (€19,724 to €25,641), while that of the previous SM7 ranged from 28.8 to 37.7 million Korean won (€18,935 to €24,786).

Sources: Renault-Samsung, via Autoblog.it

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VIDEO

This is what a New BMW 1 M Coupe Looks Like after a Heavy Fender Bender

The brand-new BMW 1 M Coupe hasn’t been around from more than a few months, but we already have the first recorded accident of which we know about.

The unlucky owner of the car, who is from South Korea, posted these photos of the mishap over at the BMW 1Addicts forum. He said that he was the first customer to receive one of the 80 BMW 1 M Coupes scheduled to arrive in the South Korean market.

He also claims that the accident occurred after another car ran through a red light and crashed into his BMW. Take a look at the car before and after the accident in our gallery after the break.

Photo source: 1 Addicts

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Ferrari World Design Contest: And the Winner is….

For the past few months, design students from 50 universities across the globe took up Ferrari’s challenge of designing a future supercar for the famous Italian brand. Now, following the completion of the second phase in which seven schools were chosen to move to the final round, we have a winner.

Drum-roll please…and the winners of the Ferrari World Design Contest are…the students from Seoul’s Hongik University. The South Korean school finished first ahead of the second-placed IED of Turin in Italy and London’s Royal College of Arts.

The first three winning models are:

1) Eternità– Kim Cheong Ju (Rep. of Korea), Ahn Dre (Rep. of Korea), Lee Sahngseok (Rep. of Korea) – Hongik University (Seoul)

2) Xezri– Samir Sadikhov – IED (Turin)

3) Cavallo Bianco – Henry Cloke (UK), Qi Haitao (China) – RCA (London)

Following the announcement of the winners, Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo commented:

“Ferrari World Design Contest represents a window that we want to keep open on the world and the creative energy of the next generation. I saw at first hand the many genuinely innovative ideas that these talented youngsters sent us and could feel the enormous passion and commitment that had gone into them. I am certain that some of these suggestions will come to light in the Ferraris of the future.”

The Italian company said that the all of the design concepts focused on reducing weight and fuel consumption, the latter through alternative propulsion systems, and in particularly hybrid engines.

Commenting on the winning design from Korea, the Eternità (pictured in the opening photo), Ferrari stated: “The Seoul students provided the finest interpretation of Ferrari’s design brief for a thoroughbred hypercar brimming with new generation technologies and materials, an extreme (“hyper”) car not only in its architecture but also in every other aspect.”

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