Renault Samsung Motors, the South Korean unit of France’s Renault SA, Monday unveiled the “QM5,’’ the automaker’s first sport utility vehicle (SUV) in an effort to boost domestic sales.
Company officials said that the mini SUV would be introduced the South Korean market from early December. It is also set to go on sale globally from next month, according to the officials.
The QM5 is the first SUV model of Renault Samsung, ranked fourth place in the country’s automobile industry. It has so far sold only small-, mid- and large-sized sedans, each named as the “SM3,’’ “SM5’’ and “SM7,’’ in South Korea.
Equipped with a two-liter diesel engine outsourced from Renault, the vehicle boasts of a maximum 173hp, which is pretty good for such a modest displacement. A gasoline version QM5 with a 2.5-liter engine will be introduced early next year.
