IAB Report - Mahindra undecided on launching Ssangyong X100 compact SUV in India

20/10/2014 - 15:10 | ,  ,   | Anjan Ravi

The X100 will be powered by 1.6-liter petrol and diesel engines.

Ssangyong will launch its first B-Segment crossover, the X100, early next year in Korea followed by Europe. The X100 is a major launch for the Mahindra-owned company as it aims to double sales by 2016. Markets like India could prove to be volume pockets for the X100, however, parent Mahindra is still undecided on launching it here.

Ssangyong XIV-Air Concept front three quarters at the 2014 Paris Motor Show
The X100 was previewed by way of the Ssangyong XIV concepts at the Paris Motor Show.

Speaking to Indian Autos Blog recently, Mr. Pravin Shah, Chief Executive, Automotive Division for Mahindra and Mahindra, said -

As far as the X100 is concerned, its too early for me to say whether that will be a part of our product offerings or not. So if the X100 has an opportunity in India, surely we'll consider that. But there are no fixed plans.

The only Ssangyong product available in India is the Rexton, which is assembled by way of CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kits by Mahindra. Though Mahindra were also investigating the possibility of the Korando launching in India, the Ssangyong brand hasn't seen any action apart from the launch of a new RX6 variant on the Rexton earlier this year.

Ssangyong XIV-Air Concept dashboard at the 2014 Paris Motor Show
The compact X100 is expected to be a feature-packed offering.

A major reason for the Ssangyong brand to play second fiddle in India is because its products would quite obviously overlap with Mahindra's offerings, which are sold under the same roof. The X100 and Korando, if launched in India, would be priced between INR 9 and 15 lakhs, and would internally compete with the Scorpio and XUV500 which cost in that region, but offer more value for money.

Competitors: Ford EcoSport, Hyundai ix25, Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008
Expected Price: Below 15,000 GBP (INR 15 lakhs), ex-Showroom, UK
Launch date in Korea: Early 2015

Ssangyong XIV Air Concept - Image Gallery

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