Mystical Ssangyong is a carmaker convinced by its own levels of self-belief
It is probably understandable that South Korea-based Ssangyong is one of the most confused of carmakers, writes Iain Robertson, when you consider that it has been shoved from pillar to post by various ‘interested parties’ in its 67 years of troubled existence.
Having commenced as a product of two separate firms, Ha Dong-whan Motor Workshop (from 1954) and Dongbang Motor Company (from 1962), a merger in mid-1963 led to it producing Jeeps under licence to American Motors Corporation one year later. The company only became known as Ssangyong Business Group in 1986, although its relationship with Jeep, via the Korando model, had ended five years earlier.
Intriguingly, Ssangyong acquired the British specialist carmaker, Panther Westwinds, in 1987. Barely four years later, Ssangyong commenced a technological partnership with Daimler-Benz, for engines and drivetrain, The German company also being first to market with the (then) new Musso SUV (1993), designed by British stylist, Ken Greenley. By 1997, Ssangyong had been acquired by Daewoo Motors, only for deepening financial problems leading to GM Korea, which had rescued Daewoo from ignominy, offloading it like an over-baked spud in 2000. Chinese carmaker, SAIC, acquired a 51% stake in the South Korean firm in 2004, putting it into receivership in 2009, after recording a $75.42m loss. SAIC was charged subsequently by the South Korean government with stealing Ssangyong’s intellectual property.
The saga continued in 2010, when Indian automotive conglomerate, Mahindra & Mahindra, acquired a 74.65% stake in Ssangyong for $463.6m, although its first product, the Tivoli model range, did not appear until 2015. Yet, the financial wrangling continued, with Ssangyong filing for bankruptcy on 21st December 2020 to the tune of $285m in overdue debts to financial institutions…unbelievably, it continues to produce cars.
In fact, SsangYong has just released the design of its next-generation SUV. Carrying the code name ‘X200’, the new car is said to represent the brand’s most recent design vision and purported philosophy that are said to highlight its value and future direction of its forthcoming products. An insider at the firm, or what remains of it, has proposed that its design philosophy, marketed as ‘Powered by Toughness’, follows its announcement made earlier this year about its first medium-sized electric car, the J100.
Insisting that, through this new design stance, the company is showcasing its revised product identity and communicating a vibrant and modern SUV contender, while also drawing on the inherited values of its massively confused heritage, is all very well. However, judging by the initial drawings, it looks like a strange hybrid between the current Land Rover Defender and a Jeep Wrangler, neither of which are particularly innovative and the end product is unlikely to bear much resemblance to the artwork anyway.
Along with the themes of strength and modernity, Ssangyong insists robustly that its new design language underpins its long standing ‘Korean Can Do’ message, which has been central apparently to the Korando product line over four markedly different iterations, dating back to the original of 1983. The ‘philosophy’, however deluded, is based on four formative concepts: ‘Robust Architecture’, ‘Unexpected Delight’, ‘Vibrant Contrast’ and ‘Communion with Nature’. Judge for yourself.
According to Mr Lee Kang, head of Ssangyong’s design centre: “Of these four elements of sculptural identity, ‘Robust Architecture’ pursues the beauty of tough structural shapes and detailed architectural beauty. ‘Unexpected Delight’ appeals to differing lifestyles, offering amusement and excitement by embodying a design that values more than mere transportation. ‘Vibrant Contrast’ expresses the original characteristics of a tough SUV, through the contrast between aesthetic elements of colour, texture and modelling, while ‘Communion with Nature’ is intended to harmonise with the natural world, echoing the sensibilities of Ssangyong customers.”
SsangYong’s future models are designed under the ‘Powered by Toughness’ theme and present the heritage of the original Korando and Musso models, which are reputedly symbols of strength in South Korea’s automotive history, although they were both singularly unstylish and not exactly popular either. Through the philosophy, not only is Ssangyong hoping to consolidate its brand position as an authentic SUV specialist that meets squarely the needs of customers but it will also deploy eco-friendly powertrains, in the process responding to the biggest change occurring across the world’s automotive industry, which is transforming by way of a rushed electrification programme.
After SsangYong released the outline design of the J100 in June this year, the reaction from consumers on YouTube and the online community was considered by the firm to be extremely positive. Feedback on the J100 and derivative pick-up model on domestic and overseas automotive websites indicated considerable positive interests.
As Mr Kang continues: “We have re-interpreted our future design vision and product philosophy by drawing heavily on our unique heritage. With the forthcoming J100 and X200 models, we have drawn a line in the sand in terms of design and everything from this point forward will follow this new brand direction. It is a very exciting time for SsangYong and will build on the history and heritage of its unique and distinctively authentic SUV designs to impress its customers of the future.”
To be frank, I do not truly know if Ssangyong actually had a plot to lose in the first place. It is a carmaker that seems to have careened from one disaster to the next, fuelled by feckless hopes and a misbegotten belief in its own tissue-thin integrity. Having driven some of Ssangyong’s recent products, I can tell you that, while their road manners are perfectly acceptable, as indeed are both the build quality and even the technology employed, the materials are reminiscent of 1970s oriental motorcars…technically, cheap product sold at non-budget prices.
Ssangyong, sadly, is not alone in its remarkable self-belief. The entire motor industry is running around like headless chickens at present, which should urge extreme care on the part of the consumer. Personally, I think that the only reason Ssangyong survives is due to the fact that it owes so much to South Korean financial institutions, which is no real reason to survive at all.