Company Name Changed to Renault Korea
New Car Launch in the Second Half of the Year After 2 Years
Renault Korea Motors has decided to replace the emblem it used since the Samsung Motors era with the diamond-shaped emblem used by its French headquarters. The company name will also be changed by dropping the word "Motors" and becoming Renault Korea. The brand strategy has been extensively revamped.
On the 3rd, Renault Korea announced this brand marketing direction. It plans to launch a new car for the first time in over two years in the second half of this year, changing not only the products but the entire brand. The press briefing held that day was named "Renault Nouvelle Vague," a French term meaning "new wave."
The company explained, "It signifies sharing the value of the French brand Renault more actively with domestic customers and advancing beyond a car sales and manufacturing company to become a beloved mobility brand in Korea."
Renault Korea's new emblem applied to the compact SUV Arkana. It is called "Losange," meaning diamond, which is the logo used by the headquarters. The model is called XM3 domestically and Arkana for overseas exports. [Photo by Renault Korea]
Accordingly, some model names will be changed and the new emblem will be applied. The compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) XM3 will be renamed Arkana, the same as the overseas version, while the mid-size SUV QM6 will keep its name but adopt the new emblem. The mid-size SUV currently under development using the Volvo CMA platform (project name Aurora) will also use the new emblem.
The new brand strategy is named "Electro Pop." The company explained that it plans to provide a unique consumer experience based on electrification, connectivity, and safety technologies. Renault opened its first flagship store in Korea, Renault Seongsu, located in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. The space, previously operated as a showroom and service center, was transformed into a complex cultural space combining a caf? and pop-up stores. The headquarters design team participated, incorporating French sensibility on the exterior and Korean details inside.
Renault Korea previously used the "Eye of the Typhoon" emblem, which looked like two ovals intersecting diagonally, dating back to its predecessor Samsung Motors. This emblem was applied to the mid-size sedan SM5, launched in 1998 as the first passenger car, as well as commercial vehicles like trucks. The trademark, filed the year after Samsung Motors was established, was continuously used even after the company was liquidated and by the Renault-Samsung Motors joint venture with Samsung Card.
Even when the company name changed from Renault Samsung to Renault Korea Motors in 2022, the existing emblem was retained, with a slight modification from a three-dimensional to a flat design. The new emblem being introduced is the logo that the French headquarters started using in 2021. Domestically and internationally, it is called "Losange," meaning diamond. Renault first used this type of logo in 1925, and it has undergone several minor changes over time to reach its current form.
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