Following last year’s reveal of the Arkana coupe SUV
pre-production concept for Russia and other markets worldwide, Renault has now
rebadged the show car for the Korean market. At the Seoul Motor Show, Renault Samsung brand has unveiled the XM3 Inspire, which is nothing more than
a badge-engineered Arkana. Renault’s Korean subsidiary says the new show car
“embodies a new era in Renault Samsung Motors design.”
More importantly, it previews a production model
that will launch in the first half of 2020 for the South Korean market. So what’s different compared to
the Arkana? Not much, actually, except the new badging and color. If you put
the two side by side, you will notice subtle cosmetic differences including the
orange accents on skid plates, bumpers, and side skirts, as well as darker
19-inch alloys. The most notable change, however, is at the rear, where the XM3
Inspire features a different rear bumper and a metal plate.
No photos of the interior were revealed, but that’s
not surprising since we haven’t seen the Arkana’s cabin yet either. The Renault Samsung XM3 C-segment
crossover will be built at the Busan plant as part of the French automaker’s
plan to increase sales in South Korea. The move is part of the French
automaker’s broader strategic plan “Drive the Future”, which targets 5 million
annual sales by 2022.
