President Stefan: "We Will Bring Renault Korea Back to the Race Track"

Stefan De Vleeschouwer, President of Renault Korea

Photo by Renault Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] "I will shake up Renault Korea Motors and bring it back to the race track of the South Korean automobile market."

Stefan Deblaes, President of Renault Korea, made this statement at a press conference hosted by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association held on the 10th at Renault Technology Korea in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

President Stefan Deblaes is an engineer by training and has served as the chief engineer for vehicle development in Renault's South American market, director of new car development programs for the compact and mid-size segments, and director of Renault Group's advanced projects and cross-car line programs. He was appointed president of Renault Korea in March.

President Stefan plans to invest in various areas to revive Renault Korea. Capital obtained through equity participation in Geely Automobile will be invested in new car development. Additionally, new employees will be hired to strengthen competitiveness. He said, "I believe Renault Korea has relatively lost its competitive edge over the past two years," adding, "We will bring in new talent to create a breakthrough."

Renault Korea will introduce a hybrid version of the XM3 in the second half of this year. Following that, a new eco-friendly vehicle will be launched in 2024, and an electric vehicle will be released in 2026. He stated, "Through the partnership with the Geely Group, we have gained access to the platform used by Volvo," adding, "This will allow us to present vehicles that Korean consumers will highly appreciate."

When asked if the electric vehicle launch is too late, he explained that it is rather an appropriate timing. President Stefan said, "In the Korean market, the share of electric vehicles is expected to reach 30-40% by 2030," adding, "Considering that, 2026 is neither too early nor too late."

He emphasized, "The current global automobile market trend is toward hybrids," and added, "Although China previously favored electric vehicles, it is recently shifting toward hybrids. Therefore, while waiting for electric vehicle technology to advance, hybrids are a good option."

He firmly denied any management participation by Geely, which has been raised by some. President Stefan said, "The Geely Group has formed partnerships with several other automakers including Volvo, most of which have been successful because they did not participate in management," emphasizing, "The management of Renault Korea will be decided by myself and the management team."

Finally, he expressed his determination to enhance Renault Korea's value and make it a good alternative for Korean consumers alongside Hyundai and Kia. President Stefan stated, "We will strengthen the values of trust, quality, and Made in Korea," and emphasized, "We will provide the best service to Korean consumers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.