SsangYong out to take on EV big guns, teases new electric SUV

Matthew Hansen
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Renders / supplied

Renders / supplied

If you put all of the world's brands on a 'most improved' graph over a 10-year period, you'd be hard pressed to name a marque that's made bigger steps than SsangYong. 

While Hyundai and Kia have been established competitors for a while now after their initially shaky foundation years, fellow Korean brand SsangYong has taken a little longer to gather momentum. But it's current line-up, underlined by the new-for-2020 Korando, is more than competitive across a group of segments. 

Now the firm has unveiled teaser pics for its next target; a fully electric car, developed under the project name 'E100'.

Ignore the neat pink and blue hues and artsy kisses of light ... it's clear to see that this model will be very much based on the Korando. Not that this is a bad thing, given that the model has plenty of positives

The main design difference compared to a standard Korando is the grille. EVs of course don't need grilles, and as such SsangYong has elected to fill this one in — following in the footsteps of many other brands who have adapted internal combustion models for EV applications. 

The other big change SsangYong confirmed in its release of the images is that the bonnet would be made out of aliminium to save weight and help the car's centre of gravity. 

Read more: Korean colossus tested - SsangYong's Rhino XL ute is a gigantic challenger

The ElectroYong will comes with a single electric motor, capable of making 140kW of power. Given it's a single motor and not a dual-motor set-up, it's been widely tipped that the model will be exclusively front-wheel drive. Don't assume that'll mean it's slow, however, as SsangYong has previously said that its first EV will deliver 'best in class' acceleration. 

That motor will be hooked to a 61.5kWh battery, good for a claimed 420km of range according to the NEDC test cycle. In the real world, that should be sufficient for over 300km. 

The Korando and MG's EV efforts mean more options for those wanting low-cost full electrification. Now to see how they drive ... 

To view SsangYongs listed for sale on DRIVEN, click here