Just so y'all know, I was listening to the Business Wars podcast about the Samsung/Apple competition for smart watches, and in one episode they mentioned the Samsung Car. I was like... "WHAT?", and here we are! :) This is the kind of off-the-wall car history I get obsessed about (even though people in Korea probably think "of course they did!") Thanks for being here!
I heard about them in like year 2014-15 first time when i had magazine with like 2000 cars and there was samsung. About that time I had samsung galaxy a5 and i was surprised. But from that time i didnt hear about them
And finally, Renault decided to change their brand name in 2022, and they removed original Samsung logo in April 2024. And only SM6 maintained that logo, QM6 only maintained its name, XM3 changed to Arkana.
then CEO of Samsung was a car nut, and avid collector of automobiles. He really, really, really wanted to have an automobile manufacturing division. There still is a private auto museum that displays his auto collection.
Except the only difference this time is that people would have bought the Apple car because it had Apple in the name and it was from Apple. I say would, because there is conflicting reports that have stated that they have canceled development.
The difference is Apple use existing technology in new ways. Samsung make the technology. Add to the fact that Samsung is a mega company and Apple isn't.
I saw some Samsung-badged cars in Paris nearly ten years ago, and indeed they were very Renault in their origins but my goodness, I couldn't believe it when I saw them!
@@HowardLeVertmakes sense because if you pay close attention to the previous gen Nissan Rogue if it’s made in Korea it reads as follows: *MFD BY RENAULT SAMSUNG LTD*
Yeah. The X-Trail Mk3 actually became the first Japanese-branded automobile assembled in South Korea in over 30 years over that deal back in 2013. Didn’t mean much, though. Nissan left the South Korean market in 2022 over low sales and all X-Trails are now made elsewhere
I own one of those 1998 SM525V. Just hit 100,000miles(160,900km) on the odometer today(there are 1st gen SM5s with over 1,000,000km on the odometer; my car is still pretty much brand new). It is really a KDM version of A32 Maxima/I30/Cefiro(many parts are literally "NISSAN" stamped) but with added SR engine choices(SR18DE and SR20DE) and features(such as optional sat nav system or adaptive dammper control). 2002 model year offered mobile internet based navigation and voice command system(this was 22 years ago). Now that its very last production is 19 years ago(2005), these cars are the most abundant 20+ year old passenger car in S.Korea(coz it is the first Korean car that doesn't rust away). Trivia: 11 units were modified as long wheel base(10cm longer; only 1 unit is 20cm longer) version for use by Samsung executives. Trivia 2: that very car which is featured in comercial is a pre-prduction version and has VIN of "970001". That car under went restoration program(took 2 weeks) last year and is still being driven. Trivia 3: one of the pre production version drove the entire silkroad route(from China to Portugal) to prove its durability.
Really, most of the 1995-1999 Maxima's these are based on have been junked long ago due to rest. Cool cars though , in USA they were all VQ30 6 cylinder engines
I used to own an A32 Infiniti I30. I really enjoyed driving that car for 10 years until the exhaust system rusted and the CV joints needed replacing. It was such a smooth and plush near luxury car.
@@xiondFirst They have no more interest in this than they had in the 50s in the USA with their propaganda film asking road users to put pressure on their congressman to build more roads.
@@xiondFirst Many of them do make buses, but trains are a whole different game, very different from what they specialise in. While companies like Mercedes Benz do make Buses, only Hyundai and Mitsubishi to my knowledge make trains.
I was on a trip to the Caribbean back in the early 00s and I saw a car dealer advertising that they sold Samsung cars and nobody back in America believed me LOL
Renault Samsung was exported to Chile, where it was their only export market without rebadging, even though the Renault name was dropped. Otherwise, the SM3, SM5, and SM7 were sold as Renaults in Russia, China, the Middle East, and Mexico. If Renault stayed in the US, maybe Renault Samsung's models could've been exported as Renaults too.
And we chileans had the cars and trucks exported just when the brand launched at home, near 1998?. The truck business didnt last though. (Fun fact: it was rumored around 2008-09 that RSM products could be sold in the US, as a captive import. Roger Penske was in talks with GM to buy Saturn from them, and the plan was to rebadge Renault-Samsung cars and sold them at the Penske dealership network. The plan didnt work, though.)
My uncle worked at a Derco car dealership back in 1998 when Samsung was introduced in Chile. Don't know if it was only for Chile, but primarily SM5 was called SQ5 here. Years later I was a proud owner of a 2005 1st gen SM3, then my mother bought a 2011 restyled SM3. Finally my dad got a 2nd gen SM3 bagded as Renault Fluence in 2012. Very good cars. I wanted to keep mine as a relic but sadly it was stolen then burnt. As far as I know, they only other country were these cars were exported as Samsung was Vietnam, but not sure.
SM3, QM3, SM6, QM6 are actually french Renault Fluence, Captur, Talisman and Koleos II rebadged as Samsung QM5 and SM5 where the only Samsung sold badged as Renault. SM5 is technicaly based on the Renault Laguna III
@@xperiasony6304The Fluence is actually a Samsung rebadged as a Renault. Renault never intended to design a sedan Megane 3, so they had Samsung build it and rebadged it as a Renault for markets that needed a sedan. I own one and there are Samsung Motors logos on the windows.
@@zeruiahwild1 it sucks I had to sell it because electronic issues and the axle were getting too expensive to replace, and now I have a 2024 Civic Sport manual. I miss the Infiniti, but I’ll get another one someday, (or another Lexus)
Nissan Rogues were built at the Renault Samsung plant in Busan, South Korea from 2014-2020. Many Rogues sold in the US with a VIN beginning with "K" from those years wear that placard.
When I went to Korea in the mid 2000's for work Samsung-Renaults were pretty common on the road. But I had to ask what they were because unlike every other brand the only brand identification on the outside of the car was the logo.
My parents had an SM5 back in Korea actually, was a very nice and reliable car that far surpassed its Korean competitors (at the time) in durability due to the use of Nissan technology and facilities when other manufacturers were starting to steer towards domestically developed technology. It didn’t sell very well initially due to the high pricing and the IMF crisis, however after the acquisition of Renault (who lowered prices significantly) these sold like hotcakes, threatening the sale of Hyundais. Renault Samsung continued to be a viable competitor in the Korean market in the 2000s with the continued sale of badge engineered Nissans (SM3, SM7), with the main selling point being the merit of experiencing a Japanese car at Korean car pricing. Things went downhill when they switched to Renault-based models in the 2010s which didn’t suit the Korean market as well as the Nissans however, they changed their name to Renault Korea motors in 2022 and is basically just a production plant for Renault now.
Whats crazy is I was laying in bed before sleep thinking "I wonder why Apple tried a car but Samsung hasn't" and then BOOM this video. GET OUT OF MY HEAD JON!!!!!!!
I used to work for Samsung in Suwon, SK in the late 90s. I had some idea of Samsung when I joined the company but little did I know that Samsung and Hyundai were the two companies that literally propped up the entire economy of S. Korea, esp after the war. I was surprised to find out that Samsung made EVERYTHING, from Manhole covers to helicopters, I even had an opportunity to take a ride in one of their limousines. The size of this company and its contribution to the economy is such that even the local humble taxi driver was worried about Samsung and Hyundai shares and their performance more than anything else. No wonder, as these two companies account for nearly 30% of entire SK's GDP!. And for those you wondering, LG is not as big. Samsung is MUCH bigger than LG, almost 30+ times. Cheers
I had a work colleague once who was basically a gruff but gentle giant of a guy - with one hard and fast rule (never explained). Nothing Korean, especially the cars. He was fine with Japanese, but (and we traveled frequently together) god help Hertz if they only had Hyundais on the lot. I swear he'd move up 3 classes and take a Suburban before a Sonata. It was such a strange fixation - the only thing I could think of was that maybe his Dad served (died?) there -he was older than me, so timeline might have fit.
Sounds like an irrational mentality going on with him. Did he have beef with Korean people themselves? Wouldn't be surprised his bigotry is so surgical 😅
More than likely he just had an experience with Hyundai, Kia, or Daewoo in the 80's or 90's,,which all had atrocious quality and reliability. Ihad a first gen Sonata as a hand me down and with only 40k on the Odo, not only was the transmission shot(only had 3 gears, 4th was MIA, the engine would bog and die suddenly, AC was out, and so were 3/4 power windows (imagine driving around in 85+ degrees. I swore I would never buy Hyundai, and by the same token Kia/Daewoo...ever. They were just that bad, and to a certain extent, looking at engine and ignition/mobilizer failures, they are quite far from being quality cars.
I am Korean. I love cars. Thank you for introducing Korean brands that are not easy for foreigners to understand (which sold too quickly to Renault and no longer have a reputation). Gen 1 SM5 is often seen in Korea. It's always beautiful but looks sad. Maybe you won't see the design again in the future. Looking at the car, I think it's a combination of the first attempt, growth through transition, and unfortunate times. It's starting to be treated as a durable, old-fashioned car, so prices are going up. People jokingly say that they don't know what engine oil is, but it's a car that goes without a problem until it's scrapped. I don't know what you mean. Maybe it's a zombie like Volvo? Anyway, thank you for explaining the first and last history of our country's short but intense Samsung car. 😅
Very interesting video, though I did already know about the SM series. Back around 2010, I lived in Korea for a few years working for a publishing house and enjoyed seeing the different cars. One thing that a lot of people are forgetting is that Samsung was not a household name in America until at least 2005. Also, in Korea the really big companies are known to have their branding all over various products from hotels to cars to electronics and shopping centers, etc.
Thanks Jon, this is a timely history lesson. The other day at work I had a Rouge in the shop, and the Vin tag is marked “Samsung-Renault” under manufacturer. It made me curious, but I hadn’t gotten around to reading up on that just yet.
My father drove a 2002 Samsung SM5 from 2016-2020. It was basically the Korean cousin of the Nissan Cefiro A32 and I quite liked that car. It was a comfortable, reliable sedan that rarely broke down. The downside was that it had poor fuel efficiency, crash safety, and was a boring old 90's car. (My father scrapped the car in the fall of 2020 because he had an opportunity to get a better car.) Additionally, SM5 was popular with taxi drivers in South Korea in the 2000s due to its high reliability. These are the most common 90s cars on South Korean roads today! They now sell for less than $1,500 on the used car market. Sadly, after the 2010s, Samsung completely gave up on the car industry, and since Renault started making cars, they lost a lot of customers and their cars became terrible. (Technical issues. Expensive repair costs. Complex and difficult maintenance.) Now all dealerships have switched to French Renault with a yellow sign.
In Saudi Arabia we had Samsung cars in the late 90s early 00s and I particularly remember seeing a couple SM5s at the time, but the dealership didn't last long.
I remember the Samsung SM5 sedan. It was an interesting car from South Korea. I guess that because of the 25 year rule, many old ones can be imported into the United States now. I wasn't aware of a Nissan 2.5 liter V6. That could have been used in the first and second generation Altimas.
Im pretty sure the VG was too big for the first two generations and it adding a lot of cost and complexity for 100 more ccs... and the altima had the dohc version of the ka24 so it had enough power. Also nissan has a couple small displacement v6es in asia vg20, vq23, vq25 (the one in the video) and a vg20 (vg is the engine family from the first generation 300zx) Japan taxes car on displacement and thats the only reason stuff like that gets made, hence why it never gets exported (although we did get like a 2.3 mazda v6 or something like that in the mx6)
@@livvy4333 The VQ25 V6 would have been perfect for the first and second generation Altimas. The 2.3 liter V6 you are thinking of from Mazda was a Miller Cycle supercharged 2.3 liter V6 in the Millennia S sedan. Mazda did have a 1.8 liter V6 in the MX-3 GS model.
The Qm5 crossover was sold in Chile by the name of Renault Koleos. It is a reliable and good car. Nothing sparkling, but terrific if you have kids to protect.
I've never heard of the Samsung car. Auto parts suppliers have gone on to be full fledged manufacturers, but it's rare. Bridgestone, mostly known for tires, tried making a motorcycle for a while. There were a few factors that caused it's failure. Rumored, but I don't think it was ever documented, was the other motorcycle companies telling them that they wouldn't buy parts from a competitor. So either make bikes, or bike parts. They decided the latter was more profitable.
My uncle owned a 3rd gen SM5 for a few years. In Israel and some other export markets this car was known as a Renault Latitude, it came with a 2.0 litre Nissan diesel engine. Overall, the car was quite punchy and comfortable to drive, and everything felt well put together. It still wasn't a runaway sales success tough.
Fantastically interesting Jon, all new information for me. Enjoy automobile product history. Thank you best regards, Peter Mac Donald ( Penang, Malaysia).
I owned a third generation Samsung SM5 sedan here in Australia, where it was sold as the Renault Latitude. It had a 2.0L diesel engine, was very economical and was a great motorway cruiser! I had the top spec Privilege dCi spec and was packed full of features. In Australia, the South Korean built Renault Latitude (Samsung SM5) replaced the French built Renault Laguna, of which I also owned a second and third generations of (in wagon forms). In Australia, the Samsung QM5/QM6 SUV was sold as the Renault Koleos over two generation, it's still currently on sale in Australia and is one of Renault's most popular selling vehicles on sale here. There is also another Renault badged SUV that is sold in Australia from South Korea, the Renault Arkana, which is sold as the Renault Samsung XM3 in South Korea. Renault Korea Motors is currently working on a JV with China's Geely Motors, where Renault will start manufacturing Geely based vehicles for both the domestic and export markets.
And the XM3 was initaly sold as Samsung in Korea, and it arrives 2 years after here in France. But still assembled in Korea. It looks like a real Renault but it's initialy made for the Korean market.
I had a 1999 SQ5 here in Chile back in 2010, it's the most comfy car I've ever had, plenty of room inside and in the trunk. It has a little too soft suspention though, and some lack of power from it's Nissan SR20DE engine coupled with a 4 speed auto. I also had that exact combination of engine and transmission in a Nissan Primera P11 which I think was quite ligher because that car moved way better.
First SM5 was really amazing. they really did their best to build it, had the best durability among korean cars then. A LOT of them still running in good condition and can be seen everytime I ride highways
This was amazing! Thank you for all the great information! I heard of the Samsung car just this morning, and this video did a great job explaining what of was :)
Samsung has had relatively good sales in Jordan, with an estimated few thousand units sold since the early 2000s, starting with the SM5 MK-I. This model gained significant popularity, especially as an international travel taxi car between Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. This success is likely due to the Nissan Maxima's good reputation and the availability of spare parts. The popularity continued with the later 2nd and 3rd generations, which encourage the parent company (Renault-Nissan Alliance) to sell them under the Renault Safrane/ Latitude and Nissan Teana names. All these models were extensively used in fleets, taxis, and car rentals. Samsung's relative popularity extended to other models, including the Samsung SV110 Truck (Nissan Atlas) for commercial use, the Samsung SM3 petrol & electric (also sold under Renault Fluence Z.E.), the Samsung SM6 (Renault Talisman), and the Samsung QMF (Renault Koleos). Selling a few thousand units over twenty years in Jordan is considered an excellent performance for an unknown young brand, especially since consumers tend to buy grey market imported cars, both used and new, rather than from official channels.
Wow! Thank you for blowing my mind! This is wild, and how did i not know about this???? as I type on my Samsung galaxy and curse my Samsung refiridgerator as it randomly pukes ice cubes hours after I tried to put ice in my solo cup? I am worried that Mitsubishi is in a decline. I remember, (like it was yesterday), when they had a prominent electronics line, as well as a amazing rally car. (I also have a box of Mitsubishi graphite drawing pencils that I think i should hold on to....) Time is cruel
My father brought home a 98' SM525V when I was little. We had that car for 13 years and hit 300k km (186k miles for 🦅) until we sold it. Now, I drive a Mazda CX-8 as a daily car, but I recently bought a 97 Nissan Cefiro 2.0 V6 because I just love this car so much. (I wasn't able to get the Samsung version as I no longer live in Korea.)
As an 80s kid, ive found it fascinating to watch the auto market over the past 40 years...In the 80s/90s you couldn't get a better product than something from Japan. Thats not untrue wholely today, however their prices have elevvated them beyond some folks means. At the same time, Korean products were generally garbage. Samsung used to be the drug store boombox brand, or goldstar (lg). Korea has almost become today, what the japanese makes were in the 90s. Atleast by sales, id still never buy one, but tons of people do. Hyundai used to be a throwaway car, still true to some (myself included) but no denying their recent success. This is a fascinating video, and subject to me. As for the A32 Maxima, it may have been long in the tooth at the time, but you couldnt emulate a much better car. They were a fantastic car at the time. I still like Nissans (w\out cvts) but i miss THAT Nissan. Cheers
Well said. The Koreans are what the Japanese were in the 90s... but without the absolute bullet-proof reliability. While there are tons of people who have great service from Hyundai/Kia, there are plenty others who will say they had engine, etc issues. But that leaves the Chinese as the 70's Japanese waiting in the wings. Lower cost, high tech, and ready to take market share.
In chile its fun to make sleepers with the SM5 model bc of its sr20, replace the head with a vvl head or a turbo kit and you have power while looking like an old man
wow My parents first car is samsung motors SM520 This car is useing Nissan SR 2.0L 1998cc Gas Engine But my parents tuning then LPG Buy Last 2000 17 year Driveing My old Brother and me I think you are the first foreign RU-vidr to make a video about Samsung Motors. thank you (I'm Korean Please understand if my comment is inaccurate.)
Samsung is still somewhat relevant in its home country but it's cars are just rebadged Renaults and Nissans. We had some of there cars imported to my country briefly in the beginning of 2000's they were just rebadged Sunny/Almera (from Nissan).
my cousin was one of developer of 1st SM5, this shit was literally undestructable tank, still running around nowdays, koreans replace their cars really often consider that, it's really amazing
There are a ton of these cars here in Libya where I live. The quality is sub-par and are not well liked. However, some people buy them. Always wondered where these cars come from and why are they so bad! Thank you for this video.
I always remembered Samsung as a savage knockoff of Japanese products, but I didn’t know the name itself was also a knockoff. Lol. This was fascinating. Just out of curiosity I once in awhile check on the Korean car industry like Renault Korea, Ssangyong (now KG Mobility), and Hyundai Motor, so this is very informative. Samsung totally failed cars but they are huge in electronics. I don’t understand how Samsung electronics are so popular when they are so poorly built, especially the wash machines and refrigerators. But anyways, interesting story on the car division.
Well, for me I had NO idea Samsung had ever even tried to become a car company, and I acutally heard a comment about a "samsung car" on a podcast and was like "huh?".... and here we are! I had to share!
Fresh update: Renault Korea just ditched their original typhoon logo and switched over to the one used by Renault HQ at France. I guess they wanted to emphasize their "french" identity from now on. Kinda interesting because one of their past slogans was "We make these at Busan".
I have stayed in Korea twice as an expat, for a total of 3 years. During my first stay in 2009-2010, I used to drive a small sedan, Samsung SM-3. (Smaller than SM-5). I think they sold quite a bit of them to China. It was a quick and agile car to drive, building quality seemed good. We knew there was a relationship with Renault-Nissan. Note that Japanese cars are not welcome in S. Korea. The Koreans have not forgotten WWII. You wil not find any Toyotas there, or Lexus (insted they make their own luxury car Equus, a subsidiary of Hyundai) During my next stay 2017-2018 I could still see a lot of the SM3 and SM5 on the roads, along with newer and bigger models. Not as many as Hyundai/Kia, but still as many as some of the other brands like Daewoo and Ssang Yong. I am not surprised at all than Samsung makes cars because they make about everything. Washing machines, refrigerators, TV`s, mobile phones, ships, drilling rigs and why not cars?
This was the time many companies spawned up Hyundai ,kia ,Daewoo , ssangyong and Samsung Hyundai acquired kia Daewoo owner ran off with money , gm purchased passenger cars and Indian tata purchased their truck bus division Ssangyong has been sold away numerous times Renault took over Samsung cars
I wonder what a car company owned by Samsung would look like today a company that makes electronics making a car it might have been really something special especially considering what other Korean manufacturers have done
When they used to sell Nissan based cars, it was very popular because of its high quality. However, when they switched to Reanult based vehicles... that was the start of the fall. The quality wasn't impressive enough like the old days while competitor, Hyundai and Kia started to boost up their quality, performance, and design. Plus, the Renault's line-up is rather focused on smaller hatchback and wagons which are not popular in Korea since market preference is rather focused on large sedans and SUVs. Now, due to the drop of the sales, Renault Korea is having pretty hard time and hestitating to show brand new models to the market which makes them to get neglected by customers even more.
When Saturn was going out of business, GM was approached by Penske Automotive Group (dealerships) to buy the brand Saturn. Then they were going to sell re-badged Renault Samsung cars from Korea as Saturns. Obviously the plan didn't come to fruition, but it's fun to think in an alternate universe that Saturn lives on!
Thanks man, this kind of stuff I absolutely obsess over... and honestly why I started the channel AND why my wife hates to ride in the car with me! Just FYI, I was listening to the Business Wars podcast about the Samsung/Apple competition for watches, and in one episode they mentioned the Samsung Car. I was like... "WHAT?", and here we are! :) Have a great weekend!
@@AllCarswithJon so cool that you replied. Yes it was 30 seconds in to some other video and I knew this guy is maybe similar to the guys on top gear that worked behind the scenes to produce awesome facts n such. It's double cool to see that indeed your making great content on the reg. Do you have a team? Or just you?
@@AllCarswithJonbro I'ma have to make sure when I watch your videos I watch 120% and either thumb or comment. Gotta umph that algorithm... I didn't even notice some of the stuff you said because the content of what your saying is a lot to take in. Like Samsung car! Wow who knew.
