Renault unveils Latitude a.k.a. SM5 from Samsung Motors
Yesterday's Internet unveiling of the new Renault saloon, according to the newly launched site http://www.renault-latitude.com/ is targeting family orientated buyers from Algeria, Morocco, Turkey and Россия. Not exactly, as these are just the languages spoken on the site today. If Renault's marketers are right, the real market opportunity awaits the large saloon in Asia, Africa, the Gulf States, Mexico, Turkey, Russia and Australia!
With Latitude on its way to Paris motor show in October, Renault is clearly following its strategy of stopping the production of D segment cars in Renault plants following Languna's retirement. The plan is to use Samsung Motors as the main supplier of larger than compact cars. So far we have seen this strategy taking shape with the Fluence, a re-badged SM3 which debuted months before the French clone. The fact that the Fluence isn't actually coming from South Korea, but from Turkey, doesn't make it less Korean.
Now the same is true for the Renault Latitude, a re-badged SM5 from Samsung Motors. The French auto maker is marketing Latitude as a global car, but this is just a paper launch so far. The images supplied to us by the Renault Press service are photoshopped renderings - the radiator grille and the headlamps being pasted in image editing software.
The car as shown here has not been photographed yet, so we recon there was not enough time for the photo session to take place. There's a plenty of time until the planned Latitude's first public airing at the Moscow Motor Show at the end of August.
Latitude / SM5 is a medium size saloon with contemporary elegant looks and one of the largest boots in its class. Its exterior dimensions (4.89m / 1.83m / 1.49m) and the platform are already known. We like the black, instead of silver inserts in headlights, and there's a bit of additional chrome parts being offered in Renault flavour of the car. Bi-xenon adaptive directional headlights are not confirmed as standard on this car, but they might be . The rear lighting signature employs LED technology.
According to Renault PR the occupants in Latitude would benefit from a comfortable, quiet ride, as well as a precise chassis and potent powerplants. Renault Latitude comes with a number of features developed and assembled to the Alliance's highest standards and which benefit directly from the excellent results obtained by Laguna.
The equipment list isn't being detailed at this time, but we've picked a rendering of SM5's interior to help you imagine what is to come. Renault says that Latitude would feature a dual-mode air ioniser with double fragrance diffuser, triple-zone climate control, a massaging driver's seat, Bose Premium audio and Renault hands-free card. Latitude's specification leans towards high-end, but it's far away from the premium brands.
The international media will be invited to road test Latitude before the end of 2010, and sales will commence shortly afterwards.
