Renault Samsung Motors said Thursday it will export the first batch of 83 units of its sport utility vehicle XM3 manufactured at its Busan plant to Chile, pushing ahead with its overseas expansion.

The automaker said the vehicles will be shipped on July 25 to be displayed at showrooms in the South American country, offering test drives for customers. 

By the year-end, the company plans to export 57 more units to Chile.

The five-seater XM3 was launched in March here, topping the local B-segment SUV sales chart in two months after launch.

From January to June, a total of 22,252 units of XM3 were sold here, with an average of above 5,000 units sold in four consecutive months.

Renault Samsung Motors attributed the popularity of XM3 to the vehicle’s premium design and high-tech driving assistance features as well as its reasonable cost. 

“We have been counting on XM3 as the next-generation core model manufactured at our Busan plant, following the Nissan Rogue. We are doing our best to ensure the XM3 will receive good attention in the overseas markets as it did here,” said a Renault Samsung official. 

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)