Renault's South Korean brand Samsung released a teaser sketch of the SM7 concept car that previews the next-generation of the firm’s large sedan. The current SM7, which is built on Nissan’s J31 platform that underpins the Asian market Nissan Teana and the sixth-generation of the North American Nissan Maxima, has been on the market since 2004.
Its successor will be unveiled at the upcoming Seoul Motor Show (April 1-10), in the form of a design study. The teaser image shows a car with a sporty, muscular design, with the front end being dominated by a large trapezoidal grille that is continued in the form of the engine hood. The SM7 Concept sports a low, coupe-like profile that ends in... unknown territory, since the back of the car is hidden from view.
Official details are scarce, but the next SM7 is expected to use an elongated platform of the SM5 (known to Europeans as the Renault Latitude). Developed together with the French automaker, the future SM7 is expected to arrive in production form in the second half of 2011.
There are no plans for selling the car in Europe, since Renault says it doesn't intend to have a bigger car than the Latitude in its range. It could make a nice Safrane though...
By Dan Mihalascu
