It has four versions and two four-cylinder engines available: the original 1.5–litre QG15DE and the 1.6–litre with CVTC system QG16DE petrol, both from Nissan. The 1.6 was added in July 2004 as South Korean automobile taxation was changed; hitherto, there had been a prohibitive tax threshold at 1.5 liters.
In July 2009, it was renamed as SM3 CE (Classic Edition), with no changes to the exterior.[7] The company announced production of the first generation SM3 would be continued while demand existed.[8][9] The lineup was made smaller and only the 1.6-liter engine remained available in the CE model. The SM3 CE was discontinued in 2011 in Korea and was manufactured in Busan for the Russian, and Peru Market, under the Nissan brand. Production ended in 2013.[10]
In October 2012, Renault Samsung Motors introduced a redesigned front end for the 2013 model year of the SM3, with a new grille, headlamps and bumper as well as an improved equipment.[8]
SM3 Neo
To create a "family feeling" with a new model of the company, the QM3 imported from Europe, Renault Samsung Motors introduced a new facelift to the SM3's front-end for the 2015 model year, known as the SM3 Neo.[13]
At the 2011 Seoul Motor Show, Renault Samsung Motors unveiled an all-electric variant of the SM3 called the Z.E. It is based on the Renault Fluence Z.E. and is partly financed by the South Korean Government.[14] The car entered into mass production at the Busan factory during October 2013. The company targets a production of about 4,000 units per year.[15] In 2013, its second marketing year and the first of South Korean assembly, the SM3 Z.E. was leader in electric vehicle sales, with a market share of 58% and 453 cars sold. The company attributed this to its AC-3 charger, its greater range compared to rivals and a better warranty for the battery.[16]
In November 2017, company introduced new SM3 Z.E. with range increased by 57 percent to 213 kilometers (132.3 miles) based on the Korean type approval cycle.[17]
^"르노삼성차 부산공장" [Renault Samsung Motors' Busan plant]. carmedia.co.kr. CarMedia. 17 December 2012. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
^"르노삼성 'SM 3·5·7' 단종…'XM3·캡처·QM6' SUV 라인업으로 빈자리 채운다" [Renault Samsung's SM3, SM5 and SM7 discontinued… XM3, Captur, QM6 SUVs lineup to fill the gap]. ETnews.com (in Korean). 9 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.