Renault has expanded its international vehicle range with a new flagship model targeting growth in non-European markets including in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
Its new Renault Filante is a fullsize E-segment crossover employing the brand’s full self-charging hybrid powertrain system to be built at the automaker’s Busan production plant in South Korea.
The model will take over from the midsize Renault Grand Koleos as the brand’s international range-topper as part of the Renault International Game Plan 2027, Fabrice Cambolive, Renault’s chief growth officer, said in a company statement.
“Filante [is the fifth new-generation vehicle of our international plan, designed for markets beyond Europe,” he added.
Its name harks back to the Étoile Filante prototype, which set multiple world speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1956.
The name was revived last year when the Renault Filante electric concept achieved an efficiency record of 1,008 km (626 miles) in under 10 hours at an average speed of 63 mph.
However, the road-going model will employ the automaker’s full hybrid E-Tech 250 powertrain. This pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine producing 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque with two electric motors integrated into a DHT Pro automatic transmission and claiming a combined output of 250 hp and up to 565 Nm of torque.
Energy is supplied by a 1.64 kWh lithium-ion battery enabling up to 75% of city driving in all-electric mode, depending on conditions. The vehicle always starts in electric mode. Fuel consumption is reduced by up to 50% compared with an equivalent non-hybrid gasoline engine, with CO₂ emissions of 106 g/km.
The model was designed jointly by Renault Technocentre in France and Renault Design Center Seoul and developed in South Korea. Filante uses Geely’s compact modular architecture vehicle platform as part of the pair’s ongoing collaboration in Asia.
The Renault Filante also debuts three new technologies for the brand including emergency collision avoidance, supporting evasive steering maneuvers between 18 mph and 75 mph aided by data from the cameras and vehicle sensors.
Also featured are a digital interior rear-view mirror with built-in electronic toll collection and child passenger presence detection, monitoring the cabin and triggering alerts if a child is left inside.
Rollout of the Renault Filante begins in March in South Korea, followed by selected Latin American markets and the Gulf States in early 2027.
“Combining Renault's global DNA in design and innovation with the technical excellence of Renault Korea, it is backed by the advanced capabilities of the Korean automotive industry,” said Nicolas Paris, CEO of Renault Korea, in a company release.
