SsangYong X200 is gunning for Jeep

SsangYong Motors has released new sketches of its upcoming 2022 SsangYong X200 that will introduce the Korean brand's new 'Powered by Toughness' design direction.

The front-end styling of the all-new small-to-medium SUV, which is codenamed KR10, features round LED headlights with striking X signatures, while the imposing black grille is punctuated by five thin vertical diamond-shaped daytime running lamps.

Below, there's a tough-looking bumper that packs a prominent bash plate and two large hexagonal-shaped air intakes.

At the rear, the blockiness continues with yet more underbody armour on show, plus traditional squared-off 4x4 design cues that also draw parallels with a steroidal take on a Jeep Wrangler.

Speaking of the US off-roader, the uncanny similarities are no mistake. SsangYong says its X200 is inspired by its past and in the late 1960s the car-maker began building the Jeep CJ-5 under licence in Korea. This eventually evolved into the first-gen SsangYong Korando in the early 1980s.

The second-gen Korando that was sold in Australia from 1998 is also said to have donated much to the X200's styling.

Beneath the skin it's not known if the SUV's toughness is reflected with a ladder-frame chassis, or if it rides on a car-like monocoque.

Set to be revealed in the coming months, the new SsangYong X200 has been teased little more than a month after the brand previewed another rugged-looking, but pure-electric, J100 SUV.