Filante Shines on the Winding Roads of the Millennium-Old Capital [Awesome Mobility]

Pre-orders have already surpassed 7,000 units. Following the Renault Grand Koleos, Renault Korea’s second model under the Aurora Project, the Filante, is enjoying strong demand. As an E-segment crossover, it is widely seen as combining the strengths of both sedans and SUVs. Its unique advantages came through clearly during the test drive event held in Gyeongju on the 4th.
The test route was carefully designed. Starting in downtown Gyeongju, it ran along the lakeside road by Bomunho Lake, then continued via National Route 35 and Expressway 24, before reaching the winding roads of Unmunnyeong Pass. In total, the course covered 68.1 kilometers. It included the curves of national highways, the straight stretches of expressways, and even rough, almost unpaved mountain switchbacks. Renault Korea put this route together specifically to evaluate the Filante from every angle.
The Filante has been set up differently from the platform level. It is based on the same Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform as the Renault Grand Koleos, but Renault Korea’s engineering team lowered the overall height by 50 mm and widened the wheel track by 5 mm on each side. Ground clearance was also reduced by 10 mm. On paper these changes may look minor, but on the road they feel significant. With the center of gravity lowered, the car feels more planted to the tarmac. Its stance is closer to a sedan than an SUV.
Its true character emerged on the winding sections of Unmunnyeong Pass, where the road is narrow and the surface rough. When you brake at corner entry, the body does not pitch forward; instead, it settles down with reassuring weight. As you accelerate out of the bend, the rear end supports the car firmly, preventing it from washing out toward the outside of the corner.
At the heart of this stability is the Smart Frequency Damper (SFD). On bumpy surfaces, it reduces damping force to absorb shocks, while in cornering or hard braking it momentarily increases damping to keep the body tightly controlled. This frequency-sensitive setup was fully tuned in-house by the Renault Korea Central Research Center to suit Korean road conditions.
The powertrain’s character also pairs well with spirited cornering. The Filante uses a series-parallel hybrid system that combines a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with a 100 kW drive motor and a 60 kW starter motor. It delivers a maximum system output of 250 horsepower and peak engine torque of 25.5 kg·m. When you get back on the throttle exiting a corner, the electric motor steps in immediately, allowing the car to surge forward without any hesitation. Gearshift shock is barely noticeable, thanks to a 3-speed multi-mode automatic gearbox that transitions seamlessly between electric, engine-only, and combined modes.
On the expressway, the Filante’s quietness stood out. Even as speeds climbed after joining the highway, wind and road noise were impressively well suppressed. Double-laminated acoustic glass is used on the first- and second-row side windows, and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is standard across all trims. Conversations were effortless even at around 120 km/h.
The interior space befits an E-segment model, with overall length of 4,915 mm, width of 1,890 mm, and height of 1,635 mm. A 2,820 mm wheelbase provides 320 mm of rear legroom, while a 1.1 m2 panoramic glass roof enhances the sense of openness. Trunk capacity is 633 liters in standard configuration. The openR panoramic screen, which links three 12.3-inch displays, and the AI voice assistant A.Dot Auto clearly set the Filante apart from its segment rivals in terms of infotainment.
There were a few drawbacks. The difference in feel between Sport and Comfort drive modes was smaller than expected; throttle response only became slightly sharper. Some participants also pointed out that the sound played when changing drive modes was a bit loud. Renault Korea said it plans to address this through a software update. The absence of all-wheel drive is another point of regret, but the company explained that this stems from its hybrid-only strategy and left room to reconsider it depending on future market demand.
The Filante is priced from 44.9 million won for the Economy trim to 52.9 million won for the Esprit Alpine trim. After driving it along the twisting roads of Gyeongju, one thought remained: this is a car that is better experienced on the move than explained in words.

eastcold@fnnews.com Kim Dong-chan Reporter