The road testing of the next-gen SsangYong Korando has commenced. Internally known as the SsangYong C300, the future SUV was spied in production body in South Korea recently, courtesy DailyCar.
The next-gen SsangYong Korando, from the design of its headlamps, its grille layout and its proportions, looks heavily inspired by the SsangYong SIV-2 concept introduced at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The spy shots suggest that the next-gen model will look very bold and aggressive, unlike the current model that looks plain odd.
The next-gen SsangYong Korando will ride on a stretched version of the SsangYong Tivoli’s X100 platform. Mahindra is said to have a hand in its development. SsangYong has planned a pure electric variant of its renewed Hyundai Tucson rival, and it expressed the same with the debut of the SsangYong e-SIV concept at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. Probably this is where the Mahindra steps in. The Indian automaker has a 72.46% stake in SsangYong and is aggressively working on many new passenger and commercial EVs.
The all-new SsangYong Korando is said to arrive with the SsangYong Tivoli’s 1.6L diesel engine and a newly-developed 1.5L TGDI petrol engine. Mahindra is developing a 1.5L turbocharged direct injection four-cylinder petrol engine with up to 120 kW (163.15 PS) available on tap, and this same engine may power the redesigned SsangYong Korando as well. The petrol engine model could feature mild-hybrid tech for high efficiency.
Also See: 2017 SsangYong Rexton showcased at IAA 2017
The next-gen SsangYong Korando will debut in the first half of 2019. SsangYong plans to enter the U.S. market with the 2019 SsangYong Korando. The all-new compact SUV's pure electric variant will follow in 2020.
[Image Source: DailyCar]
