New 2024 SsangYong Torres to be sold alongside ageing Korando

SsangYong Australia has confirmed to carsales the inbound new 2024 SsangYong Torres mid-size SUV will be sold alongside the current ageing Korando, despite the two sharing a platform and powertrain.

The move will enable the local arm of the South Korean brand to offer the Korando as a more affordable alternative, with a lower specification and smaller dimensions.

Local homologation data for the Torres reveals the newcomer will be significantly larger than the Korando, measuring 4700mm long (+250mm), 1890mm wide (+20mm) and 1720mm tall (+100mm).

There’s only a modest 5mm increase in wheelbase, which stretches on the Torres to 2680mm.

With the now five-year-old Korando priced from a competitive $32,000 drive-away, the all-new Torres is expected to start from mid-$30,000s for the base ELX 2WD and stretch into the mid-$40,000s for the flagship Ultimate 4WD.

Between the Torres ELX and Ultimate will be the Adventure 2WD, likely priced around the $40,000 mark.

The Korando was updated in 2021 and is currently offered here in ELX and Ultimate model grades with only a single powertrain – a 120kW/280Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, driving the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

The range was previously offered with additional grades, diesel power, four-wheel drive and a manual transmission option.

Regulatory documents seen by carsales suggest the Torres will be offered with 4WD, likely reserved for the flagship model, while continuing with the same 1.5T/six-speed auto combination.

Its bigger stature and heavier mass suggest the Torres will use more 95RON premium unleaded than the Korando, which offers 7.7L/100km mileage on the official combined cycle.

Pricing and full specifications are still to be released for the Torres, which was originally slated to launch in Australia during July.

SsangYong Australia has stopped short of officially confirming a revised launch schedule, but we have it on good authority it will be staged in October to coincide with the local operation’s rebranding as KGM SsangYong.

An October launch also means the petrol-engined Torres could arrive in tandem with its battery-electric counterpart, the Torres EVX.

SsangYong won’t be alone in offering two model lines in the mid-size SUV segment, with others including the GWM Haval H6 and H6 GT, Honda ZR-V and CR-V, BYD Atto 3 and Sealion 6 and Chery Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro.

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