Business

Renault to Sell Filante Crossover Based on Geely Platform in S. Korea
By Reuters | 13 Jan, 2026

The French auto giant had already been building its Grand Koleos SUV in S. Korea based on the Chinese automaker's platform.

Renault will sell its new Filante car in South Korea from March before launching sales in Latin American and Gulf countries by early 2027, it said on Tuesday.

The hybrid SUV crossover is based on the Compact Modular Architecture of Chinese partner Geely and will be produced at Renault's plant in the South Korean city of Busan, the automaker said on its WeChat account.

Renault also developed its Grand Koleos SUV, which it has produced and sold in South Korea since 2024, on Geely's platform.

The French automaker has been increasingly partnering with carmakers from China and elsewhere to improve efficiency at its factories and enhance competitiveness.

Renault signed definitive agreements in November to sell Geely 26.4% of its Brazilian subsidiary to jointly produce and sell cars in the Latin American market where China's BYD has also been building a factory and gaining ground with its affordable pure electric and plug-in hybrid models.

The strategy appears to be paying off as Renault-branded car sales outside Europe rose 11% in 2025, versus a 0.6% decline in 2024, according to a Reuters calculation based on provisional data provided by Renault Brand CEO Fabrice Cambolive.

(Reporting by Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Susan Fenton)