Ssangyong unveils long-awaited SUV 'Korando C' in S. Korea

By Byun Duk-kun
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- Ssangyong Motor Co., South Korea's
smallest automaker, on Tuesday introduced the latest version of its iconic sport
utility vehicle Korando in South Korea, which it said will once again make the
company a global leader of SUVs.
The Korando C is the fourth generation of the vehicle first developed and
introduced in October 1974, and also the longest surviving SUV model in South
Korea.
The vehicle is equipped with a 2.0-liter diesel engine, named e-XDi200, which
produces maximum horsepower of 181. Still, the eco-friendly engine has a high
fuel economy of 17.6 kilometers per liter for a two-wheel drive model with manual
transmission and 16.4 km/l for an all-wheel drive model with manual transmission,
according to Ssangyong Motor
The Korando C is a small vehicle by size, but it will create a new luxury segment
of small sport utility vehicles, the company said, adding the letter C in the
vehicle's name stands for "Classy."
One of the first characteristics one notices when driving the vehicle is how
quiet it is for an SUV as its anti-noise design effectively blocks road and wind
noise from reaching the inside, it said.
Various safety features, ranging from six airbags for all occupants and an
electronic stability program to its special body design that thoroughly disperses
any impact from outside, also make the vehicle one of the safest cars in its
segment, it added.
"The Korando C is more than just a product. It is the oldest SUV brand in South
Korea that began with a name that means "Korean can do" and it was South Korea's
first four-wheel drive vehicle indigenously developed and built," said Lee Yoo-il,
a court-appointed manager of Ssangyong Motor.
"The company will recover its reputation as a global SUV leader with the
resurrection of the Korando brand," he said in a media launch program for the
Korando C held on the southern resort island of Jeju.
Ssangyong began selling the vehicle in Europe late last year as the Korando C was
strategically designed to also satisfy the taste of overseas customers, who, too,
have long been awaiting the new Korando. The vehicle is set to reach local
customers here late next month.
The Korando C comes in three trims -- a Chic model with a price range of 19.95
million won to 24.8 million won (US$17,720-$22,019), a more luxurious Clubby
model with a price range of 22.9 million won to 24.55 million won
($20,330-$21,790) and the Classy model with a price range of 25.8 million won to
27.35 million won ($22,800-$24,280).



bdk@yna.co.kr
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