Renault teases move upmarket with new flagship on Chinese platform

Renault Korea has teased its new Filante SUV, which will be the second model from the company to be based on Geely underpinnings.

The new flagship SUV will make its debut on January 13, Korean time. From the silhouette teaser (below) we can see that the new SUV will have a quite dramatic side window profile.

The brand is calling the Filante “a symbol of Renault’s worldwide move upmarket”.

Filante is French for shooting star, which is alluded to in the badge. The car is also named in honour of the 2025 Filante Record concept and 1954 Étoile Filante.

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The former is a single-seat EV luxury sedan homage that managed to travel 1000km in under 10 hours without being recharged, while the latter is an earlier single-seater developed to set a world land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

Unlike those earlier Filantes, this new model looks as though it seat considerably more people – maybe seven – and could also be the largest vehicle in Renault’s current range, which is currently topped by the 4.72m Espace in Europe and 4.78m Grand Koleos in South Korea.

The Filante will be produced in Busan, South Korea alongside the third-generation Koleos, which is known as the Grand Koleos in its country of origin. It will be sold both in Korea and in export markets.

Based on the Geely Monjaro – sold as a Xingyue L in China – the latest Koleos is distinguished by fresh body panels with crisper detailing, and redesigned front and rear ends.

While Renault Australia has two models from South Korea in its showrooms – the second-generation Koleos and the Arkana – it has yet to confirm whether the new Koleos or any other future Geely-based models will be sold Down Under.

The use of Geely platforms by Renault Korea, formerly known as Renault Samsung, stems from a partnership agreement signed by the two companies in 2022. Late last year, the automakers expanded their collaboration, and Renault will soon begin producing Geely-based models in Brazil too.

Not so long ago, Chinese automakers were leaning heavily on their European, American and Japanese partners for models, technology and platforms.

Now, many mass-market manufacturers, including GM, Ford, Stellantis, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan and Honda, are relying on their Chinese partners to fill out their model ranges in China and beyond.

MORE: Explore the Renault showroom