The press release attached below may say start with the words "world premiere," but the XM3 Inspire concept is essentially a rebadged version of another concept. We're talking about the Renault Arkana introduced back in August 2018 at the Moscow International Auto Salon in Russia, with this not-so-new showcar marking the South Korean debut of the coupe-SUV mashup. There are some subtle changes here and there, but it's 99 percent the same thing.
The XM3 Inspire doesn't carry Renault's diamond logo because it comes from a different marque. It's a Samsung-branded concept, as in Renault Samsung Motors, not Samsung Electronics, the company known for its Galaxy line of smartphones. The automaker was originally established in 1994, but it wasn't until 1998 when it first started selling cars. Two years later, it became a Renault subsidiary, hence the company's official "Renault Samsung Motors" moniker.
Like the Arkana, the new XM3 Inspire is scheduled to go into production. It will be built at the Busan factory in South Korea starting the first half of 2020 to exclusively cater to the local market. The coupe-SUV thingy unveiled this week in concept form at the Seoul Motor Show will join an assortment of other KDM-spec models, mostly SM-badged sedans strongly related to Renault, plus the Koleos-based QM6 midsize SUV.
As it was the case with the Arkana, the XM3 Inspire appears to be just about ready to hit the assembly line, so chances are the production version will look virtually identical.
Meanwhile, the concept will be on display until April 7 at the Seoul Motor Show in South Korea where attendees can check out other premieres, such as the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Turbo / Hybrid and the Kia Masterpiece and Signature SUV concepts.
