SsangYong

Sometimes, at the annual Geneva Motor Show you find the pearl that you didn’t expect. This is the case of the brand new concept car by the South Korean company SsangYong, the XIV-2. The SsangYong stand did not have hundreds of square meters of LED displays to show off their new creation, but this new CUV (crossover utility vehicle) enlightened itself amongst the crowd that visited the Korean company at the ‘Salon’.

Born to compete against the pricey Range Rover Evoque, it’s the perfect mix combining the enjoyable aesthetics of a SUV along with the benefits of a B segment car.  The exterior design combines the appeal of an active, urban model with the dynamic shape of a coupe. The central element of the XIV-2 design is, in fact, a fabric roof with one-touch automatic operating system to provide open air driving enjoyment. The interior continues on the dynamism of the exteriors but with the refined simplicity that was carried over from the XIV-1.

Red highlights, merged in a fusion of purple with aluminum and carbon, show off SsangYong’s dynamism. The name XIV, derives from the words “eXciting user Interface Vehicle”, in that sense the Korean designers integrated all the controls in one user-friendly central interface that enhances the overall infotainment experience. It will come with two different engines, both of which are 1.6 liters, both EuroVI, powered by petrol and diesel.

As usual, environmental considerations are also at the core of XIV-2, and the car will have all the newest technologies such as Idle Stop and Go and an efficient six speed manual or automatic transmission to lower the CO2 emissions. (lowest 106 g/km manual-diesel). This will be a strategic milestone for SsangYong, which will launch the XIV-2 in various body styles including 5 and 3 door, coupè and an extended body version.

Given the supremacy of the German groups, and the continuing deep fall of the American carmakers, this South Korean company candidates itself to be one of the leading companies in a future always more dominated by crossovers and technology.