SsangYong targets top 15 with 'super-simple' strategy

Korean SUV and pick-up specialist SsangYong is back on sale in Australia determined to erase any doubts from potential buyers’ minds about its commitment by keeping its offers and product line-ups “super-simple”.

Local management is confident enough of this strategy to forecast SsangYong will become a top 15 seller here by 2022.

That equates to well beyond 10,000-plus sales per annum — a bold prediction for a brand that has spent the last two years out of the market, had three different independent distributors in the last 14 years in Australia, was at one stage rebranded as Daewoo, and even sold out of Mercedes-Benz showrooms in the mid-1990s.

Internationally it has struggled financially in the 2000s, passing through the hands of various owners including Daewoo, SAIC and most recently Mahindra, which took control in 2011.

“With our go-to-market strategy we have left no stone unturned,” SsangYong Australia managing director Tim Smith told media at this week’s local model line-up launch.

“We have tried to make it absolutely super-simple for the customer. We have tried to take away every single bone of contention they have in consideration of our brand.”

Those initiatives include national drive-away pricing for all models, a seven-year/unlimited-km warranty, seven-year capped-price servicing, seven-year roadside assistance and standard autonomous emergency braking and other driver-assist systems standard across the range.

The new factory-owned distributorship – the first established outside Korea by SsangYong — has nominated 3000 to 3500 sales as the target in its first full-year back on sale in 2019.

That would be a record for SsangYong, which had its best year in Australia in 2005 when it recorded 2645 registrations, according to VFACTS.

“We are a challenger [brand] at the moment and maybe an upstart,” said Smith.

“I’d love to become a high-performing tier-two brand in a multi-franchise dealer’s portfolio, where we are butting heads against some of the larger Japanese and Korean contenders.

“I don’t want a flash in the pan success, I don’t want to grow too quickly. I want to have long and sustainable growth for our dealers and supply chain partners, so customers can see we are here for the long haul. That would be an ideal scenario.

“I’d love to be in the top 15 in three years’ time. It’s a lofty goal, I know; I’d love by 2022 to be selling five figures [10,000-plus].”

SsangYong has announced a four-model range to kick off its Australian relaunch.

The biggest seller is forecast to be the Tivoli small SUV, while the Musso dual-cab pick-up is also expected to sell well.

The range also includes the long-wheelbase Tivoli XLV seven-seater and the Rexton seven-seat large SUV, based on the same ladder frame as the Musso ute.

During 2019, the range will be supplemented by a long-wheelbase Musso and an all-new medium SUV codenamed C300 to compete against the likes of the Mazda CX-5.

The Tivoli will also have a substantial overhaul that will include turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engines. Beyond that in 2020, C300 will spawn a battery-electric model.

Pricing for the six-model Tivoli line-up ranges from $23,490-$34,490, the Musso ranges from $30,490 to $39,990, the Rexton from $39,990 to $52,990.

These three models come in three equipment grades – EX, ELX and Ultimate. Tivoli and Rexton offer petrol and diesel engines and two- and four-wheel drive. The Tivoli comes as a manual and automatic, the Rexton as a six- or seven-speed auto.

The Musso comes only as a diesel manual and auto 4x4, although a petrol 4x2 dual-cab base model is under consideration.

The XLV comes only as an ELX diesel-auto front-wheel drive and an Ultimate diesel-auto all-wheel drive. Pricing ranges from $31,990 to $34,990.

Only the Musso misses out on autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist and high-beam assist as standard from launch. The pick-up adds that gear at the end of January. About 50-70 Musso buyers will miss out on those items.

Both Musso and Rexton come with a full 3500kg braked towing capacity, a figure upped from 3000kg following local engineering work with towbar designer Trimotive.

The Tivoli launches with four-star ANCAP safety while the Musso and Rexton are yet to be rated.

“We are trying our very best [to achieve five stars],” said Smith. “It is our highest priority both here and in Korea.”

Local chassis tuning is being conducted on the Musso and may follow for the Rexton and other models, depending on how well international tunes adapt to Australian roads.

The range will be sold out of 32 dealers initially, “with a lot more to come in a very short space of time,” Smith promised.

SsangYong Australia is the first factory-owned distributorship for the brand in the world -- quite a significant milestone considering the brand sells in 162 countries.