New Samsung SM5 designer sketch surfaces to the web

Renault-Samsung released a designer sketch of its all-new mid-size sedan called SM5, which is expected to arrive to the market in 2010.

The designer sketch you see above shows a redesigned Samsung SM5 and is a follow-up model to the current SM5 model, which has been on sale in the Korean market since 2005. The current SM5 sedan is built on Nissans Teana platform, while the up-coming SM5 will, reportedly, be based on the same platform as the current generation Renault Laguna.

Therefore, the all-new SM5 will features similar engines, as well as powertrain technology with its European sibling model. It will also feature a breakthrough exterior design, which will be sportier and much more eye-pleasing than that of the current model. Plus, the model will also adopt advanced safety technology and many other convenience features already found on the current Renault Laguna sedan.

The forth-coming Renault-Samsung SM5 will first go on sale in the South Korean market in the first half of 2010 where it will compete head-to-head with the all-new Hyundai Sonata sedan and Kia Lotze (known as Optima in the US market), while later in the year, the carmaker will begin exporting the model to several other Asian markets.

About the Renault Samsung company:

Those of you not familiar with the fourth-largest Korean car brand read this: Renault Samsung Motors was first established as Samsung Motors back in 1994. Hit by the Asian financial crisis in 1998, the carmaker has been sold to Renault which acquired a 70 percent stake in the company for $512 million.

The fourth-largest Korean carmaker produces four different models and has a production capacity of 130.000 units. With new models planed to be released in the near future, the brand plans an expansion of its production to around 250.000 new vehicles by the end of 2010.

Existing Renault-Samsung vehicle line-up consists of compact SM3 sedan, midsize SM5 and near-luxury sedan called SM7. The company also sells the QM5 crossover, which is also sold in overseas markets as a Renault Koleos.