Renault Samsung celebrates 3 millionth car in Korea

Renault Samsung Motors, the Korean unit of French carmaker Renault S.A., said Wednesday its accumulated vehicle production has reached 3 million units since it started operations in the country 18 years ago.

From September 2000 through April of this year, Renault Samsung sold a total of 1.69 million vehicles in the domestic market and exported 1.3 million autos, the company’s sales data showed.

The best-selling models include the SM6 midsize sedan (sold as Talisman overseas), the QM6 sport-utility vehicle (sold as Renault Koleos in foreign markets) and Nissan Motor’s Rogue SUV, which is assembled in the carmaker’s sole Busan plant, 450 kilometers (279 miles) south of Seoul.

In the January-April period, the carmaker’s overall sales fell 0.6 percent on-year to 87,996 autos from 88,563 a year earlier.

Its current lineup includes the SM3 compact, the all-electric SM3 Z.E. sedan, the QM3 subcompact SUV, and the SM5, SM6 and SM7 sedans.

Renault S.A. owns an 80 percent stake in Renault Samsung.

Yonhap