SsangYong Korando EV wanted in Oz
Korea's burgeoning ute and SUV brand embraces electrification, but is Australia ready for more EVs?SsangYong will next year produce an all-electric version of its all-new Korando mid-size SUV, which is due on sale in Australia in August 2019, and has now also confirmed it will jump onto the hybrid bandwagon with a petrol-electric version in 2021.
Following our first drive of the new SsangYong Korando, which features a big 10.2-inch digital dashboard and fancy LED mood lighting, it's clear the company has stepped up its product development and has aspirations to be compared with Korean compatriots Kia and Hyundai.
The EV model is set to continue the brand's tech-driven mainstream push with a claimed 400km driving distance and the capability to tow a caravan. Exact towing specs are not yet known, but the Korando EV will be revealed in the second half of 2020 -- probably at the Paris motor show.
Expected to mirror the 2018 SsangYong e-SIV concept, which had a 61kWh battery pack and 140kW of gristle, the new model is aimed at European markets but could make landfall in Australia a year or so after its reveal.
The company has now also confirmed it will deploy a 48-volt mild-hybrid model to appease stricter emissions regulations in some regions and it’s also under consideration for the Aussie market.
If approved for Australia, both models will ask a premium over the expected $28,000 starting price of the petrol-powered Korando, but will give the brand high-tech hero models to park in the front of showrooms.
The announcement of the Korando hybrid was made very quietly at this month’s Seoul motor show, where it was briefly mentioned mid-way through a presentation, and execs at SsangYong later confirmed it would be a 48V mild-hybrid, launching in the second half of 2021.
In other words, it will have limited electric driving capacity with only low-speed, short duration applicability. More of a mild EV boost than a full-on fuel-saving set-up, similar systems are currently used by Mercedes-Benz and Audi to reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.
SsangYong Australia product planning manager Andrew Ellis said both the EV and hybrid models were "absolutely" of interest, and that a change of government could precipitate a change in focus for customers.
"The future is eventually going to be EV but it's going to take a change of will in the Australian people, and the first thing that will change that is a change of government and then incentives."
With a federal election imminent, the opposition Labor party has outlined a green-car policy that seeks to make EVs account for half of all new car sales annually by 2030.
SsangYong is planning further electrified vehicles, as are most other car-makers around the globe.
Next in line from the Korean brand is the Tivoli small SUV that slots underneath the Korando, which will also get the mild-hybrid treatment in 2023, when the second-generation model is due for release. The current model will be facelifted in August 2019.
The company is also plotting a new Toyota Prado-rivalling SUV and people-mover in 2020 and has also talked about introducing an EV ute or pick-up in around 2023.
"I think it's going to be interesting post federal election because there will be a change … and then we might see some investment, some incentive [for EVs],” said Ellis.
“All the manufacturers are ready to go. It's not a question of lack of supply, but why would you bring it in if it costs too much?”
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