Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
SsangYong opens preorders for its last-hope Torres SUV
An exterior look of SsangYong Motor's new Torres SUV / Courtesy of SsangYong Motor
By Baek Byung-yeul
By Baek Byung-yeul
SsangYong Motor is betting big on its upcoming Torres SUV, as the debt-ridden SUV maker began receiving preorders for the new vehicle, which boasts relatively low prices and a retro design as advantages compared to other vehicles of the same class, the company said Monday.
The company said it is receiving preorders for the mid-size Torres SUV, which will be officially launched in July. To increase the sales volume, the company set the SUV's price range at between 26.9 million won ($20,925) and 30.4 million won, allowing the mid-size SUV to be purchased for similar prices to competitors' compact SUVs.
“The Torres has SsangYong's unique heritage that is differentiated from existing SUVs,” a SsangYong spokesman said. “We developed the authentic SUV style by adding retro sensibility to meet the desires of customers who want to a muscular style SUV.”
Seen is an interior of SsangYong Motor's new Torres SUV / Courtesy of SsangYong Motor
The new SUV is larger than SsangYong's Korando compact SUV, but smaller than its Rexton full-size SUV. The Torres will be shorter and narrower than Hyundai's Santa Fe and Kia's Sorento, while it is expected to be longer, wider and higher than Hyundai's Tucson and Kia's Sportage.
Though the company didn't unveil the full specifications of the new vehicle, the Torres will be powered by a turbo gasoline direct injection engine with Aisin's six-speed transmission.
In addition to taking preorders, the company also unveiled the exterior and interior of the Torres for the first time. The front of the new car features a short, repetitive vertical radiator grille to create a strong and wild image.
Its interior gives a sophisticated feel by applying a digital cluster, 12.3-inch wide display and 8-inch control panel display as standard from an entry model.
An exterior look of SsangYong Motor's new Torres SUV / Courtesy of SsangYong Motor
It can load 1,662 liters of cargo when the second-row seats are folded down, maximizing space utilization for leisure activities such as camping.
Safety-wise, the Torres, from the entry model, has various safety features such as rear side warning, emergency braking warning, front collision warning and lane departure warning. To attract various customers, the new vehicle offers 12 exterior colors and four interior hues.