SsangYong will revitalise its SUV range in the next few years with a raft of new models, according to president and CEO Jong Sik Choi. First to arrive is a brand new Rexton 4x4, followed by a pick-up and a new Nissan Qashqai-rivalling Korando SUV.
Speaking at the launch event of the new Tivoli XLV, Choi claimed the new Rexton would be “very much based on the Y400”, a large SUV concept intended to showcase the car's design language. It will be shown in production form in the middle of 2017 before it goes on sale later in the year.
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Choi stated that SsangYong intends to move the Rexton upmarket, with “desirablility and technology” the key areas for improvement. “The price will increase as a result but the car will be much more competitive”.
Details of what to expect from the new Rexton are still under wraps, but Choi did confirm SsangYong is developing an all-new 2.0-litre GDI turbo petrol engine with help and investment from parent company Mahindra & Mahindra. It should debut in the Rexton next year.
Also confirmed by the Korean brand’s CEO is a replacement for the Korando, currently codenamed the C300. Unlike the current SUV, which sits on a different platform entirely, the C300 will use an extended version of the Tivoli platform for “cost and quality benefits”. It’s said to be a key part of SsangYong’s ambition to shift 200,000 units annually worldwide, which is more than double its current production rate. We’ll see the fresh Korando in 2018.
Bosses claim the new C300 will look very similar to the SIV2 concept seen at the 2016 Geneva show. It’s said to be a key part of SsangYong’s ambition to shift 200,000 units annually worldwide, which is more than double its current production rate.
The C300 is said to again increase in price over the current Korando, but the company is also “finalising a plan” to offer it with SsangYong’s first fully electric powertrain. Originally, it was thought the Tivoli would be the first to use this, but bosses want to refine it in time for new emissions regulations in 2019. The C300 will also receive a new 1.5-litre direct injection turbo petrol engine as part of a 48v 'mild hybrid' powertrain.
A replacement for the Korando Sports pick-up is also expected, but there could be further surprises in SsangYong’s line-up to come. “I can say for sure that SsangYong in five years time will be unrecognisable from where it is now”, Choi claimed.
SsangYong even plans to finally crack the American market in the next few years, but a new brand name for that is being considered to help it compete. “It’s won’t be easy to change the name, but we acknowledge the necessity of doing so”.
Read our review of the new SsangYong Tivoli XLV here...