Ssangyong RextonSsangyong Motor Company is a Korean automobile manufacturer which was acquired by Mahindra back in 2011. After acquiring Ssangyong, Mahindra started working on launching and developing Ssangyong products in India. As a result of this effort put in by Mahindra, the Ssangyong Rexton was launched in India in 2012. The Rexton has been the only product that has been launched in India so far, and is doing pretty well but, if they really want to make a mark in the Indian market, they have to do much more than just launching one car. It looks like the chaps at Ssangyong too have been thinking hard about it, and are doing just the same.
So, at this year’s Auto Expo, Ssangyong displayed a few vehicles which could in all probability be put on sale in the Indian market.
Ssangyong Rodius:
Ssangyong RodiusThe Rodius is a large size MPV manufactured by the Korean auto-maker which is quite popular in international markets. The main feature of the Rodius that will attract Indian customers is its seating capacity, as it can seat an amazing 11 people. With such a capacity, it is sure to become a hit with large families and even taxi operators too.
In the international market, the Rodius is sold with a 3.2L petrol engine built under license from Mercedes-Benz, but this engine is most unlikely to be under the hood of the Indian Rodius. Instead it might be replaced by the 2.0 L, 4-cylinder diesel which is found in other markets. Another possibility is the use of the 2.2L diesel which is currently used in the Mahindra Scorpio and XUV 500, and will mostly be mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.
Ssangyong LIV-1 concept:
Ssangyong LIV-1 ConceptSsangyong revealed a new concept at the Auto Expo, named the Limit Interface Vehicle – 1 (LIV-1). Like all other concepts, the LIV-1 too was full of glamour, the headlamps and tail-lamps too were full LED’s. The LIV-1 shows the development of Ssangyong’s future design strategy named the 3S-cube design philosophy. The LIV-1 looked like a proper SUV, perfectly integrating the curves on the fenders with the boxy design of the car.
The interiors of the LIV-1 had quite a few gadgets to play around with. The interior of the car was filled with screens, with a 10-inch screen in the centre console and 7-inch screens in each of the head-rests. The dashboard featured a futuristic design, never seen before on any Ssangyong. The automated side-step is another such innovation, which helps the car to remain the same, design wise and also has provided extra convenience to the occupants.
There is no word out about the engine and transmission that will be used in the car and we’re not exactly sure if this concept will make it into production, but if it does, it will slot perfectly in between the Rodius and the Rexton.
Also see – SsangYong XLV Concept debuts at 2014 Auto Expo
Ssangyong’s 11-seater Rodius seen at Mumbai, is it coming to India?
