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Renault unveils coupe-like SUV Filante, says global flagship model will be made in Busan

Published: 13 Jan. 2026, 17:22 Updated: 13 Jan. 2026, 19:15

CHO YONG-JUN
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Renault Filante, the French automaker's global flagship vehicle, was unveiled Jan. 13 in eastern Seoul. [CHO YONG-JUN]

Renault Korea held the global unveiling of its new Filante — a striking coupe-like crossover SUV that is meant to act as the global flagship of the French automaker — in Seoul on Tuesday.

The Filante is a five-seater E-segment crossover, similar in size to the Hyundai Santa Fe, BMW X6 and Genesis GV80. The vehicle was codesigned by Renault’s designers and engineers in France and in Korea, and bases its underpinnings on the ongoing Grand Koleos SUV and the Chinese Geely. The Filante will be built at the Renault Korea Busan plant in the country, with deliveries starting in March.

While international sales for the Filante are yet to be announced, the company told the Korea JoongAng Daily that Renault's Busan plant will be responsible for manufacturing the Filante sold globally.

Renault’s chief growth officer and CEO of Renault Brand, Fabrice Cambolive, third from left and Renault Korea CEO Nicholas Paris, fourth from left, pose next to the Renault Renault Filante, the French automaker's global flagship vehicle, on Jan. 13 in eastern Seoul. [CHO YONG-JUN]

“Filante perfectly illustrates our approach: Combining Renault’s French DNA with Korean excellence to meet local customer expectations, and it is the result of a powerful and unique recipe,” Renault’s chief growth officer and CEO of Renault Brand, Fabrice Cambolive, said during Tuesday’s global premiere press conference in eastern Seoul.

The name Filante derives from the French word étoile filante — “shooting star” in English — also the name of Renault's 1956 world speed record-setting car, which was revived as a concept in 2025.

The Renault Brand CEO called the design of the crossover “French” and “avant-garde,” and the Filante very much had that first look — the car features thin headlights with a large, illuminated Renault diamond logo at the center and a grille designed to look like the Renault logo.

What’s more striking is the lower half of the front face, finished in glossy black paint regardless of the color of the vehicle, making the design choice more prominent in the show car on the floor finished in matte white.

Renault Filante, the French automaker's global flagship vehicle, was unveiled Jan. 13 in eastern Seoul. [CHO YONG-JUN]

The rear end of the Filante continues with the trend, as the car slopes downward for its coupe-like appearance, and the better half of the trunk panel is also finished in glossy black, creating a very distinct look.

Renault Filante, the French automaker's global flagship vehicle, was unveiled Jan. 13 in eastern Seoul. [CHO YONG-JUN]

The interior space is arguably less avant-garde, as it has three 12.3-inch display panels — one for the gauge cluster, one for the infotainment screen and one for the passenger's seat. The passenger's seat touch screen, notably, blends well with the interior when turned off and is not visible to the driver, for safety reasons.

The seats, dubbed “first class lounge seats” by Renault themselves, are made with Nappa synthetic leather with ventilated and heated seats. The Filante also features a digital rear view mirror that can be toggled to have display-based vision instead of the conventional mirror.

The new vehicle, just like its shared architecture with the Grand Koleos, utilizes the same dual-motor hybrid power train based on a four-cylinder 1.5-liter engine. The Filante, being the flagship vehicle, had its maximum engine power increased by 10 percent to reach a combined output of 250 horsepower. Paired with a 1.67 kilowatt-hour battery, the Filante can drive short distances without its engine and “up to 75 percent” of its city driving can be done by the electric motor, according to the automaker.

Renault Filante [RENAULT KOREA]

The Filante starts at 43.32 million won ($29,390) for the Techno trim, after the lowered individual consumption tax and clean vehicle tax deductions, followed by the Iconic trim at 46.97 million won and the top-of-the-range Esprit Alpine trim at 49.72 million won. However, the base trim will not be sold until the third quarter of 2026.

A special Alpine 1955 edition, limited to 1955 vehicles, will be priced at 52.18 million won, featuring an augmented reality head-up display, a Bose surround sound system, an exclusive name plate and accessories.