In the News - All Models
Ssangyong Goes All-Diesel
Latrobe Valley Express Thursday 5/6/2008
SsangYong, the only brand to have an all diesel range in Australia, has launched a new version of its range-topping Rexton and as IAN CRAWFORD reports, the company has also announced a luxury line for several of its models.
SsangYongAustralasia boss Russell Burling is convinced that diesel is the way to go and while his dealers sold just 100 vehicles last month, he believes a total sales figure of 3000 for 2008 is achievable.
The Korean brand's Sports dual-cab ute line-up now has an excellent Australian-built six-speed that was developed by Albury-based company Drivetrain Systems International.
The other SsangYong news is that a new alliance has been formed between the company and the Western Australian-based Barbagallo group.
Under the deal. SsangYong vehicles will be sold in this country and New Zealand under the banner of a newly formed company called SSangYong Motor Australasia, or SMA.
Russell Burling said the alliance with Barbagallo will give SSangYong a truly national approach and the resources to built the brand across the country.
The new SsangYong luxury range is dubbed the SPR line and it covers the Sports dual-cab ute. the Kyron and Rexton II SUVs and the brand's Stavic people mover.
The SPR strategy will add goodies such as climate-control air conditioning, heated leather seats. an electric sunroof and automatic transmission but prices are set between $10,000 and $20. 000 below those of the competition.
The new Rexton II is powered by a cleaner and more powerful2.71itre common-rail turbo-diesel engine that boasts Euro IV emissions credentials
Two two model variants are on offer. The $35.990 Rexton II RX270 with its standard turbo-charged common-rail engine and the new $49,990 flagship Rexton II RX270 SPR that runs a variable-geometry turbo-charger and has all the 'fruit' as standard.
Burling said Rexton is now one of the best value-for-money SUVs available in Australia delivering higher levels of safely. equipment and economy than any comparable SUV on the market.
Electronic stability program is standard across the entire SsangYong range and the new Rextons have both front and side airbags.
The standard Rexton II has torque-on-demand all-wheel drive that under normal conditions delivers most of the power to the rear wheels. If it senses the wheels are starting to slip, the system automatically transfers more torque to the front wheels.
Small Torque
Border Mail Friday 6/6/2008
BROOKS SsangYong of Nurigong Street, Albury, has been appointed to sell and service the entire 100 per cent pure diesel range of SsangYong vehicles.
With over 35 years motor industry experience, Brooks SsangYong brings a wealth of four-wheel-drive and diesel knowledge to its new franchise, which is headed up by dealer principal Cameron Brooks.
Brooks joined his father, Tony, as an apprentice in 1986 and together they have grown the business from a mechanical repair workshop specialising in Land-Rovers to a thriving Suzuki new car dealership employing 10 staff.
Cameron Brooks says it was a logical choice for the company, thanks to Ssangyong's all-diesel engine line-up, low running costs and purchase price and range of SUVs, people movers and workhorse dual cab ute.
"We looked at SsangYong and realised it was a brand that was going places and offered the sort of vehicles we wanted to sell here in Albury- Wodonga," Brooks says.
"The quality was right, the engineering was right and the diesel engines are exactly what the market is calling for.
"With fuel prices starting to bite hard, country people are increasingly looking towards diesel engines as a solution for their transport needs and SsangYong delivers just that in a package that is well equipped and well priced."
Brooks SsangYong has a new purpose-built showroom and service facility planned to open in early 2009.
"This backs up SsangYong's commitment to this area which is obvious when you realise the Dual Cab Sport uses the high-tech DSI six-speed automatic manufactured in Albury," Brooks says.
Korean Storm Warning
Central Coast Sun Weekly Thursday 12/6/2008 By IAN PORTER
A PERFECT storm of higher interest rates, soaring fuel prices and pressure to cut emissions is agitating the car market and will dramatically change our driving habits, according to Korean importer SsangYong.
Which is why the company has decided to go all diesel with its range of sports utility and other vehicles.
"There is going to be a big change in buying patterns in the Australian market due to petrol prices," SsangYong's Australasia managing director Russell Burling says.
He says sales of large cars are plunging and there is no money to be made in small cars. "It's a nightmare out there."
Nevertheless, Mr Burling is considering importing some of the new cars SsangYong has announced it will be building from late 2009, but only the diesel versions.
He is convinced buyers will continue to swing towards diesel engines in the medium term: "People are going to be looking to save 20 per cent on their fuel bills. And they will change their driving habits."
He predicts more people will be catching trains, families will consider dropping one car, and there will be more car pooling.
"Driving habits will alter radically; it's going to be a massive change," he said.
The drop in sales of large cars shows the way the market is going, he says.
"I don't know how the fallout will come but we are seeing almost a perfect storm. Interest rates are going up, fuel prices are going up and everything else will go up because of it."
Mr Burling is confident SsangYong Australasia made the right decision in dropping petrol engines from its range.
"Diesels are the most efficient cars," he says, adding that the fact that diesel fuel is more expensive than petrol will not deter buyers.
"Diesel fuel is more expensive than petrol in the UK, yet diesel is booming there."
Korea-based SsangYong, which is controlled by China's largest car maker, Shanghai Automotive Industries, has been continually refining the vehicles in its range, with particular attention to the styling.
SsangYongs have not won beauty prizes in the past but the company has enlisted the aid of prominent Italian design house Italdesign and the improvements are noticeable.
The Rexton and Kyron off-roaders and even the ungainly Stavic people mover are looking better than they used to.
The Rexton is a roomy off-roader offering a lot of equipment for its starting price of $35,990. It is a smart, if slightly bulky, design that shows
SsangYong has left behind the more extreme elements of Korean design influence.
As may be expected, the four-door Sports Dualcab ute is a more agricultural machine than the Rexton. It comes in two-wheel drive and part-time four wheel-drive forms, the latter with a low range. It has the same not-quite-sharp steering and steering wheel as the Rexton, with gear selection buttons and a back seat which gives it an edge over local two-seat utes.
The SDC starts at $28,990 for the five-speed manual, two-wheel-drive version. All-wheel-drive and the four-speed automatic transmission add $3000 each. The range topping SPR gets a six speed automatic for its $39,900 price tag.
FUELLING THE FUTURE: The SsangYong stable includes the turbocharged Sports Dualcab
Drivers Gear Up for Price Hikes
Adelaide Advertiser Monday 23/6/2008
AS PETROL prices head for $2 a litre, alternative fuels and modes of transport are increasing in popularity. Diesel vehicles, LPG conversions, and even bikes are relieving some of the financial burden for many.
General manager of Lavato Autogas and Diesel/Gas Australia Kingsley Songer said demand for LPG conversions continued to grow, as well as demand for diesel/gas combined systems.
Mr Songer said converting a petrol vehicle to LPG cost up to $4500 but the government then provided a rebate of $2000.
The newer vapour injection LPG systems, available for about the past five years, cut the average fuel bill by about 50 per cent, he said.
The diesel/gas system for diesel vehicles, which improved their efficiency, also cost up to $4500 to install with a rebate of $2000.
Mr Songer said this system, which he had on his own Ssang Yong Rexton 4WD, saved motorists 15 to 20 per cent on fuel costs.
RAA senior analyst Matthew Hanton said hybrid cars - petrol and electric - were also likely to become more popular with the news Toyota will produce a locally made hybrid version of its Camry sedan from 2010.
"At the moment these hybrids are not very mainstream because to a lot of people they are cost prohibitive,"
Mr Hanton said. "But when there's more produced and more want it they'll be cheaper to buy."
Mr Hanton said another popular alternative to petrol was diesel. He said although the cost of diesel was higher, it had a 30 per cent efficiency gain for motorists.
"A litre will drive you about 30 per cent further than your standard unleaded."
Mr Hanton said for this reason diesel was also more environmentally friendly, with fewer harmful emissions compared with a petrol vehicle for the same distance travelled.
He said fuel volumes sold in 2007 showed that people were not consuming less, but the mix was changing.
"South Australia, per capita, has the highest takeup of the LPG scheme than any other state."
Mr Hanton said petrol prices could move a little lower in the next year or so. However, biologist and Beyond Oil SA activist Michael Lardelli said while prices might come off a little in the next three years, the longer term picture was forprices in excess of their current level.
"We have to look at low tech solutions because that means they're cheaper."
Mr Lardelli said hybrid and diesel vehicles still relied on oil, with alternatives like electric bicycles likely to become increasingly popular in coming years.
Albury Gearbox Maker's Plight tailor-made for Carr's plan
Australian Thursday 19/6/2008
John Durie Manufacturing INDUSTRY Minister Senator Kim Carr has wrapped up his tour of Detroit boardrooms trying to ensure continued car production in Australia.
But arguably he should put as much effort into supporting the likes of Albury-based gearbox builder DSI, which would appear to be the prototype of his car plan as an export-focused local producer.
But from afar it would seem the boardrooms of Detroit and Tokyo have more allure than the outskirts of Melbourne and Albury.
On the one hand we see a $70 million subsidy granted to Toyota to do what it was going to do anyway, build hybrid Camrys, and on the other DSI is struggling for survival after losing its key contract with Ford because of the closure of Ford's engine plant at Geelong.
DSI supplies 25,000 transmissions a year to the Geelong engine plant and, while its imminent closure would otherwise doom the company, it still exports 65,000 transmissions a year to manufacturers in Korea, India and Russia.
Just why those transmissions are not good enough for the local industry is another question, but relates more to international supply agreements arranged with parent companies, some of which are not a boon to Australia.
The local car industry is full of startling anomalies, almost wherever you look.
Ford Australia designed and engineered the T6 truck, which will start in 2010 with production runs of 300,000 vehicles a year based in South Africa.
To make room in the South African plant for truck production, Australia will take over production of Ford's small car, The Focus, with initial production of 40,000 vehicles a year.
Since Chrysler's demise two decades ago Ford has been the sole Australian customer for DSI, which emerged two years ago from the Ion administration in a $48 million deal.
This month it started exporting six-speed transmissions to Korea's number two producer Ssangyong, and has contracts in place to export more fuel efficient seven-speed transmissions to Korea in 2010.
Ssangyong is owned by Chinabased Shanghai Automotive. It also supplies Tag A-Z in Russia and Mahindra in India, with exports accounting for 72 per cent of its 90,000 a year output or some $80 million out of its $135 million in revenues.
The race now is to fill the gap left by the Ford contract. DSI already produces a range of hybrid transmissions for export and spends around $5 million a year on research and development, with the latest project being a transmission for an electric car.
The problem with throwing money at any company is that its survival is out of its control, but the odds are obviously better if the company is based in Australia and not subject to the whims of a foreign boardroom.
If the aim is to encourage innovation and an export industry, then DSI offers a role model which the Minister could at least highlight.
John Durie's Martin Collins column, Business Backpage
SsangYong Appoints New Dealer
Reporter Wednesday 25/6/2008
SSANGYONG has continued its drive to expand and revitalise its Australian national dealer network with the appointment of a new dealer in the thriving NSW south coast regional centre of Wollongong.
Keira SsangYong has been appointed as the new home for the range of versatile and eco-friendly turbo diesel SUVs, dual cab utes and people movers in the Illawarra region.
SsangYong will sell and service the entire range of SsangYongs from the workhorse Sports dual cab ute to the luxury of the flagshipRexton SPR.
SsangYong's focus is on safety as well as eco-friendly diesel power and value for money and it is the only company in the Australian market with a 100 per cent pure diesel power line-up.
According to SsangYong Australasia managing director, Russell Burling, Mirko Milic and his highly capable team have a strong track record in the industry with a great reputation for customer service and a passion for doing it right.
"Keira SsangYong is an important addition to SsangYong's growing dealer network and the appointment is part of a concerted effort to ensure our dealers in Australia are strong, offer top level service and the best possible coverage across the country," Mr Burling said.
"Mirko Milic's team has the right credentials and has demonstrated professionalism over many years meeting the stringent criteria SsangYong applies in the selection of its dealers.
"The fact that Mirko over the past three years has taken his Ford franchise from last to be the number one dealership for customer satisfaction in the entire network is testament to his professionalism and commitment."
Keira SsangYong's highly experienced team of service technicians and sales consultants will be able to meet the needs of all SsangYong buyers across the region, no matter which car they choose.
Mirko Milic has been involved in the automotive industry for more than 15 years, including eight years as general manager of the largest Toyota dealership in the region. He became dealer principal of Keira Ford three years ago and has quickly built the operation into a real force in Wollongong, winning the Illawarra Retail Business of the Year award in 2007.
Milic is a supporter of the National Breast Cancer Council and donates money for every car sold through his dealerships. In addition he is also a long time devotee of the round ball game and is a sponsor of the new Wollongong Wolves.
Wollongong born and bred Mirko is proud of the acquisition of the SsangYong franchise and is relishing the challenge of building the brand in Illawarra.
"SsangYong's value for money philosophy, high levels of standard equipment and eco-friendly and fuel efficient Europe an-sourced common rail turbo diesel engines has wide appeal and has certainly made it a more intelligent choice for SUV buyers particularly when compared to increasingly expensive rivals," Mirko said.
"The SsangYong range perfectly compliments our current new car portfolio particularly with the growing demand for turbo diesel engines.
"SsangYong represents an intelligent and cost effective alternative, and is considered a luxury marque in its home market of Korea.
"I am impressed with what SsangYong has to offer in terms of the level of standard equipment, the price and the fuel economy and the handling."
The new Keira SsangYong will be located at 198 Corrimal St Wollongong in the heart of what has become the city's major automotive retail precinct.
With a full time staff of 26 the operation will offer full sales, service and parts back up for the entire
Competitively Priced Korean enters Partnership with Australian Engine Builder
SsangYong's luxury SPR line
Tamworth City Times Wednesday 28/5/2008
SsangYong -the only brand to have an all-diesel range in Australia - has launched a new version of its range-topping Rexton and, as IAN CRAWFORD reports, the company has also announced a luxury line for several of its models.
SSANGYONG Australasia boss Russell Burling is convinced that diesel is the way to go and while his dealers sold just 100 vehicles last month, he believes a total sales figure of 3000 for 2008 is achievable.
The Korean brand's Sports dual-cab ute line-up now has an excellent Australian-built six-speed that was developed by Albury-based company Drivetrain Systems International.
The other SsangYong news is that a new alliance has been formed between the company and the Western Australian-based Barbagallo group.
Under the deal, SsangYong vehicles will be sold in this country and New Zealand under the banner of a newly formed company called SSangYong Motor Australasia, or SMA.
Russell Burling says the alliance with Barbagallo will give SSangYong a truly national approach and the resources to build the brand across the country.
The new SsangYong luxury range is dubbed the SPR line and it covers the Sports dual cab ute, the Kyron and Rexton II SUVs and the brand's Stavic people mover.
The SPR strategy will add goodies such as climate-control air conditioning, heated leather seats, an electric sunroof and automatic transmission but prices are set between $10,000 and $20,000 below those of the competition.
The new Rexton II is powered by a cleaner and more powerful 2.7litre common-rail turbo-diesel engine that boasts Euro IV emissions credentials.
Two model variants are on offer - the $35,990 Rexton II RX270 priced at $35,990 with its standard turbo-charged commo nrail engine and the new $49,990 flagship Rexton II RX270 SPR that runs a variable-geometry turbocharger and has all the "fruit" as standard.
Burling says Rexton is now one of the best value-for-money SUVs available in Australia delivering higher levels of safety, equipment and economy than any comparable SUV on the market.
"I understand this is a big call, however to gain similar levels of equipment and luxury from rival brands you would have to pay up to $20,000 more than Rexton II," he explained.
Electronic stability program is standard across the entire SsangYong range and the new Rextons have both front and side airbags.
Other standard kit includes reverse parking sensors, automatic rain sensing front wipers, automatic headlights, an automatic-dimming rearvision, an eight way electrically adjustable driver's seat with a three-position memory and a body kit.
The Rexton II's transmission is managed by SsangYong's T-Tronic sequential sports-shifting five-speed automatic transmission that is standard on SPR version and optional on the standard model.
The standard Rexton II has torque-on-demand allwheel drive that under normal conditions delivers most of the power to the rear wheels. If it senses the wheels are starting to slip, the system automatically transfers more torque to the front wheels. SsangYong's 121kW XDi 270 diesel engine has a third-generation turbocharger a sophisticated direct-injection system.
In the SPR model a latest- generation variable geometry turbocharger boosts peak power to 137kW and a handy 402Nm of torque.
SsangYong claims a combined fuel-consumption figure of 9.llitres/100km.
SsangYong has announced sweeping changes to its hardworking and versatile dual cab utility including a name and a new Australian built sixspeed auto transmission.
The new SsangYong Sports dual-cab ute range now comes with four-wheel disc brakes and ABS brakes.
Pricing for the 4 x 2 version starts at $28,990 and this rises to $31,990 for the starting 4x4.
The new six-speed automatic is available for the 4x2 version from $31,990 and in 4x4 guise from $34,990.
The luxury SPR version gets the automatic as standard and it is priced at $39,990.
The Sports dual cab's two-litre turbo-charged engine delivers peak power of 104kW at 4000rpm and maximum torque of 310Nm arrives at a low 1800rpm.
Sports Dual Cab News:
The Price is White
Sydney Morning Herald Friday 6/6/2008
SsangYong has released its entry-level Sports Dual Cab aimed at tradesmen. At just under $25,000 for the rear-drive, five-speed manual with 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine, it is the cheapest dual-cab diesel available. The 4WD dual-cab manual version is less than $28,000.
Don't dream of it in any colour but white, as that's all there is. The wheels are steel and the brakes are discs at the front and drums at the back.
It's no glamour but it includes airconditioning, power windows, remote locking and a couple of airbags as standard.
The four-cylinder diesel generates 104kW and torque of 31ONm and uses a fraction more than 8.OL/1OOkm on the combined cycle.
The Sports Dual Cab Tradie will carry a 750kg payload and SsangYong assures us it has improved noise and vibration damping, making it quieter.
SsangYong gets it white for Tradies
Canning Community Tuesday 3/6/2008
The SsangYong Tradie has a lot going for it: price, diesel muscle and economy and a vast colour palette made up entirely of white.
HENRY Ford made colour choice easy for buyers of his famous Model T with this famous quote: "any colour as long as it's black."
SsangYong has now come out with a new variant of its Sports Dual Cab. It's aimed at tradesmen, is called the Tradie and can be had in any colour as long as it's white.
The 3.01itre, four-cylinder, common rail turbo-diesel Sports Dual Cab Tradie will cost $24,990, making it the the best- priced dual cab diesel on the market.
It still comes with lots of standard features, including airconditioning, power windows, remote locking and dual airbags.
The motor produces 104kW and 31ONm, drives through a five-speed gearbox and claims class-leading fuel economy of 8.1litres/100km.
The Tradie has a 750kg payload and a standard tray liner.
It will also be available as a 4x4 manual, priced at $27,990.
The entire SsangYong range is now diesel-powered.
Kyron News:
Kyron goes turbo-diesel
Daily Advertiser Friday 13/6/2008 By ALISTAIR KENNEDY
KOREAN car-maker SsangYong has released an upgraded version of its Kyron SUV and at the same time has indicated the company's future direction by announcing that all future vehicles sold in Australia will be powered exclusively by turbo-diesel engines.
The company has also added a new SPR flagship model, with a higher specification level, to each of its models.
Kyron is the smallest vehicle in SsangYong's SUV range and has been on the Australian market since mid-2006. It was given an engine upgrade in 2007 to meet the required Euro IV emission standards and, in February 2008, was given extra equipment to further increase its already excellent value for money.
Two common rail turbo-diesel engines are offered, with capacities of 2.0 and 2.7 litres. We've driven the smaller engine on a recent test and, while it's obviously a diesel from the outside, it's surprisingly quiet from the inside when you're on the road.
Maximum power from the 2.0-litre engine is 104kW at 4000rpm, while there's an impressive 310Nm of torque from 1800rpm. The 2.7-litre generates 121kW at 4000 and peak torque of 340Nm from the same low 1800rpm as the smaller engine.
Interior space is about average for an SUV of this size, with good space for four adults, while a fifth can be carried without too much of a squeeze.
Stavic News:
People Movers Less Than $50,000
Age Friday 20/6/2008
How much? From $32,990. Warranty: Three years/100,000 km. Engine: 2.7-litre five, turbo-diesel. Transmission: Five-speed man/five-speed auto, RWD. Fuel economy: 8.8U100 km man; 8.7 0100 km auto. Emissions: 232 g/km man; 231 g/km auto. Safety: Two airbags; ABS with EBD. Crash rating: Not rated. What's it got? Climate control, seven seats, parking sensors, cruise control (auto), roof rails, fog lights. For: Lots of metal for the money; space for seven; gutsy power; thrifty economy. Against: Confronting styling; mediocre road manners; not very space efficient; no side or curtain airbags. Our score: **