The Renault Filante has been unveiled as the French brand’s flagship SUV as a part of the brand’s EUR 3 billion 2027 International Game Plan. The Filante marks Renault’s attempt at entering the luxury crossover segment, where the automaker will contend with the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Lexus. While it is still a global model, the Renault Filante is especially meant for South Korea and the Middle East, our sister publication Autocar UK noted.
- The Filante’s upscale interior seats 5 occupants; boot space is 633 litres
- Gets triple 12.3-inch digital displays, Level 2 ADAS and more
- Renault’s flagship is based on Geely’s CMA platform
Renault Filante exterior
This Renault SUV’s styling is equal parts bold and svelte.
The Filante was styled by Renault’s Design Center in Seoul and the Renault Technocentre based in France. The athletic and sporty stance of the Filante is highlighted by its prominent ‘SUV coupe’ silhouette. This is brought to the fore by the high ground clearance and a sloped roof, meeting at the ducted rear spoiler that leads to a steeply sloped rear windscreen.
Some of the Filante’s design highlights are the intricately designed 20-inch wheels, an illuminated Renault emblem on the front grille, pod-style hexagonal headlights, plus geometric patterns and LEDs on the grille that amplify this SUV’s contemporary but bold styling. The angular rear end of the Filante looks sporty and gets 3D-style LED taillights. This is by far the longest model in the brand’s lineup, measuring over 4.9 metres in length.
Renault Filante interior design and features
The interior is replete with premium materials and modern conveniences.
The dual-tone interior of the Filante gets blue hues that are integrated into the door cards and dashboard, along with contrasting blue highlights on the seatbelts and centre armrest. There are various patterns all around this interior, and the usage of suede on the roofliner makes for a sporty feel. The Filante comes with seating for five occupants and a 633-litre boot.
The Renault Filante’s feature set includes a fixed glass roof, wireless charging, three-zone climate control, a premium audio system by either Arkamys or Bose, an intelligent voice assistant, and the ‘My Renault’ app. The digital real-estate comprises three 12.3-inch screens, which include a front-passenger unit. Users can connect Bluetooth headphones to this display and then stream videos or play audiobooks. There is also the OpenR Link system, allowing individual driver profiles that account for climate control settings, ambient lighting, seat positions, etc.
The Renault Filante comes with an augmented-reality head-up display, plus Level 2 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, automatic parking assist, and surround-view cameras, amongst others.
Renault Filante powertrain
The internal combustion engine of the Filante gets electric assistance.
The Renault Filante will come with a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, two electric motors, and a 1.64kWh lithium-ion battery. The total system output is rated at 250hp and up to 565 Nm of torque. Transmission duties are handled by a 3-speed gearbox, ‘Multimode Auto’ in Renault’s parlance. The Filante sits on the CMA platform developed by Chinese auto major Geely, and is shared with the Grand Koleos.
Renault’s plans with the Filante
South Korea remains a major focus for the French automaker.
The Renault Filante has been specifically designed for the South Korean market, where demand for luxury SUVs is high. In a conversation with Autocar UK, Renault CEO Fabrice Cambolive said, "We want to go into better, more valuable segments. What we want to do on the international market is what we achieved in Europe: increase significantly our revenue per unit." This is what the upcoming Filante hopes to do while taking on established luxury marques.
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