SM6, QM6 sell briskly in Europe

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Tue, September 26, 2023 | 07:49

Companies

SM6, QM6 sell briskly in Europe

Posted : 2017-09-28 16:16

Updated : 2017-09-28 17:55

Renault Samsung Motors' QM6 SUV

By Lee Hyo-sik

Global carmakers normally give their vehicles different names for each market as part of marketing strategies to better resonate with local consumers.

This is no exception for Renault Samsung Motors, which has been selling the SM6 mid-size sedan, QM3 and QM6 SUV models under different names in Europe and elsewhere.

The SM6 sedans are sold as Talisman across the continent, while the QM6, known as Koleos among European motorists, has been well received there since its launch in June.

But Renault Samsung officials say, regardless of what the cars are called, the bottom line is they have built a huge fan base because they are well made and are offered at reasonable prices.

"It is quite important to give the right names to vehicles because the names play a crucial role in attracting buyers," one official said. "But it is much more important for carmakers to build solid, high-quality vehicles both at home and abroad."

Renault Samsung sold 34,344 SM6 sedans in Europe in 2016, the second-largest in the segment after Peugeot's 508. It was also selected as the Most Beautiful Car of the Year.

The QM6 SUV, which Renault Samsung spent 380 billion won to develop over three-and-a-half years, has become popular in Europe since the company began exporting it in June. It expects to export as many as 30,000 QM6s this year.

The automaker, which has been importing the Renault Captur SUV since December 2013, sells the vehicle under the name of the QM3 in Korea. In 2016, 15,301 QM3s were sold in Asia's fourth-largest economy, becoming the company's second most popular model after the SM6.

The QM3 was the No. 1 car in Europe's small-size SUV segment last year as 215,670 were sold.

leehs@ktimes.com