Renault Korea has surpassed the cumulative production of 200,000 XM3 vehicles, which is being produced at their Busan plant and has been well-received not only domestically but also in Europe and across the globe.

The Renault Korea XM3 achieved this milestone by producing an additional 100,000 units in just 10 months, more than halving the production time compared to the first 100,000 units. The XM3 began production at the Busan plant in January 2020, reaching its first 100,000 units in just 23 months by November of last year.

As of September 26, among the total 203,000 XM3s produced at the Busan plant, approximately 64,000 units were sold domestically, while about 139,000 units were exported. Notably, around 82,000 of the export models, nearly 60%, are the XM3 (export name Renault Arkana) E-TECH hybrid model that has been on sale in the European market since June of last year.

The XM3 E-TECH hybrid has been hailed as the best hybrid vehicle not only by automotive experts but also by real buyers since its launch in the European market. It achieved top scores in a comprehensive evaluation of hybrid models conducted by Sweden’s prominent automotive magazine Teknikens Värld, and in June of this year, it was recognized as the ‘Best Hybrid Car’ by actual buyers surveyed by AutoTrader UK.

In a European automotive market facing declining sales compared to the previous year due to various adverse circumstances, the XM3 is showing the highest growth rate among Renault’s passenger car models in terms of cumulative orders as of August, centered around the E-TECH hybrid model.

On September 26, Renault Korea’s CEO Stéphane Deleuze celebrated the production of 200,000 XM3 units with employees, including the union leadership, at the Busan assembly line. Prior to this, an employee in charge of XM3 production remarked, “Despite external challenges such as semiconductor shortages and logistics issues, the success of the XM3 is a result of the efforts of all employees who have committed to their work to the best of their ability.” They also expressed hope that with the commencement of sales of the XM3 E-TECH hybrid in the domestic market in October, achieving 400,000 units will happen even sooner.

The XM3 E-TECH hybrid, which is set for domestic launch in October, will begin pre-orders on October 1. The XM3 E-TECH hybrid has been developed using hybrid technology expertise from Renault’s F1 machines, characterized by balanced energy efficiency and dynamic driving performance. Additionally, it can operate in EV mode in certain urban sections. The WLTP combined fuel efficiency in Europe for the XM3 E-TECH hybrid is 20.4 km/l, and it is expected to achieve 80-85% of this efficiency when adjusted to local standards.

Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr