Renault Korea XM3 E-TECH Hybrid

Renault Samsung Motors is no more. It's now named Renault Korea Motors and this move is similar to what happened when General Motors dumped the Daewoo name over a decade ago for the creation of the GM Korea company. Name change aside, this is the first vehicle launched under the new company name and it's basically the hybrid version of the popular crossover coupe, the XM3.

2023 Renault Korea XM3 E-TECH Hybrid

With prices starting at 32,350,000 Korean Won plus additional costs, the XM3 E-TECH Hybrid is the hybrid version of the popular crossover coupe sold in Korea, the XM3. Since its Renault Arkana equivalent available worldwide comes with the said hybrid powerplant, the newest addition made them say this should have been implemented when the XM3 was first launched two years ago.

Compared to its petrol equivalent, the XM3 E-TECH Hybrid features a different front face similar to the Renault Arkana sold to Europe but with the signature typhoon badge, the once proud logo of the former Renault Samsung Motors before its name change, slapped all over.

The interior is the same story as well. Drivers are greeted with the 9.3-inch touch screen as well as the longer 10.25 TFT display which takes place from the typical speedos. There are knobs for the air-con as well. On the passenger side, this five-seater is not bad to make a living out of it and the boot space of up to 513 liters with the secret compartment opened means it can carry anything when taken for a family outing or for business in the case of TNVS or deliveries.

The E-TECH Hybrid powertrain saw the 86PS 1.6L GTe engine mated to two electric motors and a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Fuel economy is a combined 17.4km/L, which is less than its main rival, the second-generation Kia Niro.

As expected, the XM3 E-TECH Hybrid, like its petrol equivalent, is front-wheel-drive-only, and because it runs on Megane components, it behaves almost like the Megane in a good way and it's basically not old-fashioned by the way it moves.

In the interest of safety, the XM3 E-TECH Hybrid is packed with a wide array of safety features such as Highway & Traffic Jam Companion, Adaptive cruise control (with Stop & Go), Active emergency braking system, Blind spot warning, Lane departure warning, and lane guard system, and many others.

Although it's not as efficient as the Kia Niro, the XM3 E-TECH Hybrid is the XM3 the Koreans would like to have when it was first launched. Speaking of which, it's hard to accept the biggest change of what was known to be South Korea's motoring rising star now that the Samsung name was removed from the history of Korean motoring. 

Renault Korea Motors...this company name change feels like a sign of things to come and the XM3 E-TECH Hybrid is one of them.

Photo: Renault Korea Motors

Renault Arkana

First introduced in Russia, the Renault Arkana is a coupe crossover that prefers to speak Russian rather than French because this quirk is made for but after several thoughts and reconsiderations, Renault finally brought the Arkana where it is supposed to belong but with a major twist.

2022 Renault Arkana

The Renault Arkana, priced at 29,700 Euros plus additional costs, finally comes home but with a major twist that differentiates itself from the time we first saw it in Russia. That's right because while it looks almost identical, the mechanicals and the interior have been altered to suit Western Europe, and instead of being imported from Moscow for obvious and subtle reasons, the new Arkana is imported from South Korea.

2022 Renault Arkana

2022 Renault Arkana interior

Yes, the new Arkana is an import from South Korea, where it was known and sold as the Renault Samsung XM3, and judging from the styling, the Arkana is similarly styled just like its Korean relative except for the front face that made the first impression. While the XM3's front face is striking to look at, the Arkana's front face is somewhat milder and more serious to look at.

Come to the interior and you are greeted by the  9.3-inch touch screen that is not friendly for speedo boys if you know what I mean as well as the longer 10.25 TFT display that takes place from the typical speedos. Don't worry, there are knobs for the air-con and that's it. On the passenger side, this five-seater is not bad to make a living out of it and the boot space of up to 513 liters with the secret compartment opened means it can carry anything when taken for a family outing or for business in the case of TNVS or deliveries.

2022 Renault Arkana

Unlike the Arkanas of the East, this Arkana made with the French drivers in mind is powered by two kinds of powertrains such as the 1.3L TCe 140 mated to a 6-speed EDC and the 1.6L E-TECH 145 hybrid mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The former is the quicker one because it can go from 0-100kph in 9.8 seconds and has a top speed of 200kph but the latter is something to talk about. While the top speed is slower than a Japanese car, its fuel efficiency of 4.2L/100km based on NEDC standards is proof that this is the go-getter for those who are going the extra mile.

Of course, the Arkana is a front-wheel-drive-only crossover and cheap but it behaves almost like the Megane in a good way and it's basically not old-fashioned by the way it moves. That's because it runs on the bits and bobs from the Megane rather than the Dacia bits that its Russian equivalent uses.

On the issue of safety, the Arkana is packed with a wide array of safety features such as Highway & Traffic Jam Companion, Adaptive cruise control (with Stop & Go), Active emergency braking system, Blind spot warning, Lane departure warning, and lane guard system, and many others.

Love it or hate it, this is the Arkana that you should be focusing on, not the other way around because now that the Arkana finally hits the European Union as an import from South Korea instead of Russia, there's so much to catch up with Renault's first coupe crossover that got them noticed.

Photo: Renault

Renault Samsung XM3

With the Renault Samsung lineup consisting of just the SM6 sedan and the QM6 crossover, the unsung Korean carmaker run under Groupe Renault's arms has added a new kind of car that will keep motorists confused because what that is is their first-ever coupe crossover called the XM3.

Priced at 17.63 million won plus additional costs, this is the first time Renault Samsung has gone the X factor for all unknown reasons no one knows after Renault Samsung has done almost a lot with their sedan offerings and their SUVs, not to mention selling Renault cars for the first time in South Korea a few years ago. With questions lurking about the future of the Renault Samsung with the abundance of Renault in the South Korean car market, looks like the XM3 shows that they're still pretty much in business for the Korean carmaker no one knows.

Similarly, the XM3 is basically known by the Russians as the Renault Arkana because by the looks of it, it's broadly similar to the coupe crossover sold by the Russians but unlike its Russian equivalent which runs on Dacia mechanicals, the XM3 runs on the same platform as the current Renault Megane and with the potential to sell it on the European market very soon, this Korean equivalent of the Arkana is worth the shock for anyone getting behind the wheel.

While the coupe crossover styling is unmistakenly German, just like today's luxury German coupe crossovers the world knows, the interior is unmistakenly Renault by the sound of it. Yes, drivers are greeted with the 9.3-inch touch screen which is not friendly for speedo boys if you know what I mean as well as the longer 10.25 TFT display which takes place from the typical speedos. Don't worry, there are knobs for the air-con and that's it. On the passenger side, this five-seater is not bad to make a living out of it and the boot space of up to 513 liters with the secret compartment opened means it can carry anything when taken for a family outing or for business in the case of TNVS or deliveries. A decent workhorse if you may.

The XM3 is powered by two engine choices such as the 123PS 1.6 GTe engine mated to a CVT and the 152PS TCe 260 1,332cc engine mated to a 7-speed EDC. The latter is the nearly enjoyable variant of the range because it's got some gusto to get going but being a front-wheel-drive only crossover, what the XM3's good at is being a showoff on the streets although some are bothered to look at a cheap coupe crossover that tries to behave like the Germans. Although cheap, the XM3 behaves almost like the Megane in a good way and it's basically not old-fashioned by the way it moves. That's pretty good but with numerous ADAS stuff in store, it's worth noticing.

The XM3 may be a Korean version of the Renault Arkana sold by the Russians but it differentiates from it because it's a sensible coupe crossover with sophisticated behavior too hard for words to describe. If this crossover has the potential to go Europe-wide as a Renault, there's a lot to be taken care of.

Photo: Renault Samsung Motors