Renaults Korean-built Koleos crossover SUV is to go on sale in the UK from 4th July, equipped with either 150 or 175hp versions of Renaults 2.0 dCi diesel engine, or with a 2.5 170hp petrol engine, and priced from £17,995-£24,695. The Koleos is the first Renault-branded vehicle to be manufactured by Renault Samsung Motors, an 80.1%-owned Renault subsidiary.
Production-related capital outlay on the model, including adapting the factory to Koleos production and investment with suppliers, was ?78 million, split between investment with suppliers (?00 million) and factory-related investment (?8 million).
Most was spent on producing specific tooling both in the factory and at suppliers for the Renault ranges first 4x4 crossover, on extending the body shop building and acquiring a Nissan-designed flexible body shop to permit the production of different body types. Reorganization of the plant has improved the factorys productivity and performance by optimizing the exploitation of its total production capacity.
The presses form and stamp up to 34,000 parts every day from reels of sheet steel. A set-up comparable to that employed at Renaults Sandouville factory in France, which produces the Laguna, permits laser welding of body components which ensures an optimal thickness of metal using lighter gauge steel sheeting. This equipment permits the proportion of very high elastic limit steels (VHEL) to be increased.
The investment of ?2 million has provided Busan with a body shop capable of producing up to eight body types at the same time.
The Koleos supplier network comprises 241 companies, 89 of which are located outside of Korea. This proportion of overseas sourcing is due to the diversity of the parts required for the vehicle, the majority of which are more associated with Renault models and are consequently not made by local suppliers. The other two-thirds of suppliers are based in Korea.
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