Renault->ke72's presence in the South Korean market is dwarfed compared to the two automotive giants of the country, Kia->ke41 and Hyundai->ke201. But despite that fact, the French automaker's local brand in South Korea, Samsung Motors, is prepared to pick up a fight with the Big Two with the reveal of their new SM7 Concept.

The next generation sedan takes from the current SM7, which was built using Nissan->ke62's J31 platform, the very same platform that underpins the Nissan Maxima->ke540 in the US. While nothing official has been announced, its possible that the new SM7 will be powered by a 2.5-liter V6 engine with 182 horsepower and 171 lb/ft of torque and a 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 251 horsepower and 247 lb/ft of torque.

A week after releasing design sketches of the car, Renault-Samsung has finally bared the first batch of official photos of the car. While the car is still tagged as a design study, the SM7 is about the closest thing as a preview to the car's production model. Among the noticeable features of the concept include a more aggressive and highly-prominent grille, an LED lighting set-up on the front, and an overall shape highlighted by swooping lines and soft contours.

The car looks a lot bigger, far sportier and more aggressive than today's market model. The grille on the front fascia dominates the car's profile and the swooping lines and contoured angles seem to suggest that the new SM7 will be a car that could give the Hyundai Sonata->ke1859 a serious run for its money.

Whether it actually does is still easier said than done, but if Renault-Samsung sticks to their guns, Hyundai and Kia might very well need to look into their rear-view mirrors for the new SM7 Concept.

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