Samsung's SM3, left, and the Geely CK. Mention Samsung, and Canadians and Americans will think of cellphones, sewing machines and microwave ovens. In other markets, however, including as close as Cuba, Samsung also stands for cars, as I learned when I inquired about the make of a rental sedan bearing the designation "SM3 LE16" on its deck lid. So which, I asked, was better — the Korean-made S amsung, or the Chinese-built Geely CK parked alongsid e? "Samsung," came the prompt reply. "Renault engine." Well, close. Samsung began building cars in 1998, just as the Asian financial crisis took hold. Two years later it sold a majority stake in its auto division to Renault in a deal that included the use of the Samsung name until 2020. But rather than containing any Renault parts, the rather characterless sedan I saw in Cuba was actually a rebadged product of Renault's global partner, Nissan, dating back to the early 2000s