A ceremony marking the cumulative production of 4 million vehicles held at Renault Korea’s Busan plant (Photo courtesy of Renault Korea)
SEOUL• BUSAN, Feb. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Renault Korea said Thursday that its Busan manufacturing plant has surpassed 4 million vehicles in cumulative production, marking a milestone 26 years after Renault Group acquired the facility from Samsung Motors in 2000.
Of the total output, approximately 2.2 million vehicles were sold domestically and 1.8 million exported, underscoring the plant’s role as both a national production base and a global supply hub.
The Busan factory has long served as Renault Group’s production center for D- and E-segment vehicles, turning out some of the company’s most recognized models. The mid-size sedan SM5 leads the tally with 954,000 units produced, followed by the SM3 at 805,000 units and the Nissan Rogue at 585,000 units.
Renault Korea said the plant’s strength lies in its flexible mixed-production system, capable of manufacturing up to four platforms and eight models on a single line.
In January last year, the company upgraded the facility to allow internal combustion engine lines to assemble electric vehicles, becoming the first Korean automaker to make such a conversion.
Renault Korea’s Busan plant (Image courtesy of Renault Korea)
The shift has positioned Busan as a future mobility hub producing a range of powertrains — internal combustion, hybrid and fully electric — including the mid-size SUV Grand Koleos, the global flagship crossover Philant, and the Polestar 4.
Nicolas Paris, chief executive of Renault Korea, said the 4 million milestone would serve as a launching point toward 5 million vehicles. “With the competitiveness of the Busan plant and its workforce, we will use this achievement as the foundation for a new leap forward,” he said.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
