Ssangyong Hopes to Inject More Mediocre Crossovers Into the U.S. Market
America’s unhealthy obsession with crossover vehicles has led to Ssangyong Motor Company’s decision to enter the U.S. market by 2020.
The Korean manufacturer has hinted at, and even announced, plans to come to America before with no resulting action. This time, things seem a little more realistic, with Automotive News reporting that the company is designating two small SUVs for the United States — the Tivoli and Korando — and giving itself a slightly longer timeline.
Ssangyong’s Tivoli competes with the Kia Soul in Europe and has received moderate praise and decent success. The Korando is slightly larger and will theoretically be going up against the Honda CR-V or, more realistically, Nissan Rogue in the American market. The Tivoli will be updated while the Korando will be an entirely new version of the old vehicle. While these Korean compact crossovers have been praised for affordability and function in Europe, neither will be winning awards for refinement or style in their current forms.
Ssangyong CEO Choi Johng-sik explained the plan to Automotive News at the Paris Auto Show. “America is very, very competitive, so we need to build a good brand,” he said. “That’s why we’re now preparing completely new products.”
Selling vehicles primarily equipped with diesel motors in Europe, Ssangyong is also developing two turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engines for use in their U.S. vehicles. One will be a 1.5-liter engine making 162 horses, the other a 2.0-liter unit rated at 220 hp.
With small SUV and crossover sales more popular than ever, it certainly seems like the right time to get in on the action. But Ssangyong has a long way to go before that happens. The company still has to produce the new cars, pass emissions requirements, ensure they meet U.S. safety regulations, sort out distribution, and come up with a snazzy U.S.-based marketing strategy. That’s a lot to do for a company that has not produced a profit since 2001.
I guess we’ll see what happens.
[Image: Minseong Kim/ Wikimedia Commons ( CC BY-SA 4.0)]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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Saw a number of these in Costa Rica recently — and admittedly I thought they were Chinese. They may have been rentals. In person they were kinda not ugly. Also saw a twenty-plus-year-old SUV with a Ssangyong badge on it. And... a Great Wall Motors Wingle 5 pickup. That was a new one for me!
Ssanyyong looks like Samsung. Could this be the next literally hot product on the market after Samsung Smart Phones?