PARIS MOTOR SHOW: Ssangyong's new baby

Ssangyong will be the latest car-maker to enter the rapidly growing compact SUV craze in Australia next year with a production model previewed by two concepts at last week's Paris motor show.

Codenamed X100, the all-new small crossover will be launched in Korea early next year, before right-hand drive versions become available in Australia around mid-2015.

Ssangyong has been teasing us with small SUV concepts since the 2011 Frankfurt show and most recently wheeled out the seven-seat diesel-hybrid 4.43-metre XLV at this year's Geneva show in March.

Of the two concepts shown last week – the open-top XIV-Air (pictured in white) and XIV-Adventure (silver) — the latter is understood to be the most accurate preview of the production X100, which is forecast to attract 100,000 annual sales.

Ssangyong's new entry-level model, to be positioned below the Korando, will come with the choice of both 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines, both with a fuel-saving idle-stop function, as well as six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, and front- and all-wheel drive systems.

According to Ssangyong, the diesel will emit as little as 110g/km of CO2 (equivalent to fuel consumption of 4.2L/100km), while petrol will emit down to 140g/km (6.0L/100km).

Like the concepts, safety features should include a reversing camera, seven airbags, electronic stability control, hill start assist and emergency brake lights, alongside Bluetooth phone connectivity with audio streaming.

Key available features will include three-mode electric power steering, LED daytime running lights, high intensity discharge (HID) headlights, push-button starting, dual-zone climate-control, a ventilated driver's seat and sunroof.

The still-to-be-named X100, which rides on a 2600mm wheelbase and measures 4195mm long, will be positioned below the 4410mm Korando, which currently opens the Ssangyong range at $27,990 drive-away. Korando sales are down by about 50 per cent so far this year, with less than 700 sold last year.

It will join a plethora of small SUVs already on sale here, including the Hyundai ix35, Subaru XV, Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan QASHQAI, Volkswagen Tiguan, Holden Trax, Ford EcoSport, Nissan JUKE, Jeep Compass and Patriot, Peugeot 2008 and 4008, Skoda Yeti and Suzuki S-Cross.

Before it arrives, Jeep should have launched its all-new Renegade micro and Suzuki should have released its born-again Vitara (also shown at Paris), while other new small SUVs due here in 2015 include the Honda HR-V, Renault Captur and Mazda CX-3.

Fiat's all-new 500X is due to follow in early 2016 and, while Hyundai and Kia are both working on small SUVs – as is Toyota, as evidenced by its new C-HR concept at Paris — the local future of Volkswagen's Taigun remains unclear.