Renault Korea Motors' 2023 version of the QM6 / Courtesy of Renault Korea Motors

By Kim Jae-heun

Renault Korea Motors' SUV, the QM6, is beloved by many motorists for its comfort and quietness, as the vehicle boasts a spacious interior and offers a relaxed ride, according to company officials, Thursday.

Recently, SUVs running on gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have gained more popularity than those running on diesel. According to the Korea Automobile Manufacturer Association, out of the total 37,747 QM6s sold in Korea last year, 23,732 were the LPe model and 13,869 were the GDe model. The QM6 LPe and QM6 GDe use LPG and gasoline, respectively. In other words, 99.6 percent of customers chose the QM6, with its quiet power train.

There are many hidden factors that helped create the "quiet revolution" of Renault Korea's QM6. The SUV's transmission is one of them. The carmaker has unified all QM6 models with continuously variable transmission (CVT). CVT constantly locates the optimal shift ratio within the range of the set gear ratio. CVT does not shift, so there is no shift impact, providing a smooth driving performance. Also, since the engine speed can be optimally maintained, it is possible to drive the car efficiently. QM6 has a relatively simple structure and it is light in weight, which gives it an advantage in fuel efficiency.

CVT keeps the engine speed as low as possible except when accelerating rapidly, which makes for less noise. For example, when the QM6 runs at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour in a city, it keeps its engine speed at about 1,300 revolutions per minute. Even if a customer accelerates to 100 kilometers per hour on a highway, the engine speed stays only at about 1,800 revolutions per minute. CVT can maximize the QM6's quiet driving as there is no noise or shift shock caused by sudden fluctuations in the engine speed.