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South Korean car maker KGM SsangYong is no stranger to the changing Australian market and aims for its new model, the mid-sized Torres SUV, to carve out a lane in the most competitive segment in the industry.
The petrol-powered Torres SUV is targeted to win over families with its competitive pricing – currently starting at $38,000 drive-away – while drawing customer attention away from other key rivals such as the Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-5.
To coincide with the launch of its first new model in almost five years, SsangYong has been re-branded as ‘KGM SsangYong’ in Australia.
The name change was inspired by the brand's new ownership, the KG Group, a South Korean chemical and steel company that saved the car maker from going under in 2022.
Known as KG Mobility (KGM) in its native market, in Australia, the company chose to retain the SsangYong name and winged badge logo to continue brand familiarity while adding the KGM acronym to signal a new era.
But make no mistake, while the South Korean car maker has undergone a rebrand, it is by no means a new manufacturer. In fact, SsangYong is Korea’s oldest automotive brand, starting as a humble workshop in the 1950s before expanding to a global corporation.
Domestically speaking, SsangYong has been in Australia for more than 25 years, albeit under a different badge with numerous distributors.
But how did a small auto business transform into a global brand? Here’s the story of KGM SsangYong.
How long has SsangYong been around?
SsangYong has been around for approximately 70 years.
The origins of the South Korean car maker can be traced back to 1954 when it was then known as Ha Dong-Hwan Motor, a small automotive shop that manufactured and exported trucks, buses and utility vehicles.
In the mid-1970s, Ha Dong-Hwan Motor started to expand its operations, which included co-founding Shinjin Jeeps – a now-defunct South Korean brand that manufactured hard and soft-top Jeeps.
It was during the 1980s when the humble workshop started to gain traction in its domestic automotive market, acquiring another local car maker, Geohwa Co., in 1984, and in the process adding the ‘Korando’ name – a shortened term for the brand's ‘Korea Can Do’ motto – to its model line-up.
It wasn't until 1986 when SsangYong Group – a Korean industrial conglomerate – acquired the business and re-branded the entire range to SsangYong-badged models for its automotive division dubbed 'SsangYong Motor'.
With more resources at its disposal, SsangYong made its first important step towards global recognition – partnering with Daimler-Benz (now known as the Mercedes-Benz Group) in 1991, the South Korean car maker started to develop cars using the German brand’s technology.
Two years later, SsangYong launched its first model equipped with technology derived from the German luxury car maker: the Musso SUV. This was followed by the release of the petrol- and diesel-powered Korando SUV in 1996.
By the late 1990s, Daewoo Group – a Korean automotive conglomerate – took an interest in SsangYong and eventually purchased a majority stake in the brand, which led to all SsangYong models being re-badged and sold as Daewoo until 2001.
In 2001, the South Korean car maker released its third SUV model, dubbed the Rexton – which was also equipped with Mercedes-Benz technology. According to KGM SsangYong Australia’s website, the Rexton "built on its predecessors' [Musso, Korando] reputation as a tough, no-nonsense off-roader and tow car”.
The early 2000s marked the start of multiple ownership changes for the brand, which saw the Korean car maker merge with Chinese conglomerate SAIC in 2004. The SsangYong-SAIC partnership led to the production and launch of the Stavic, a seven-seat people-mover.
In 2011, SsangYong ownership once again changed hands, with India's largest car producer Mahindra purchasing a majority stake in the business, leading to what would eventually be the third-generation Korando SUV.
The partnership proved successful for the two brands, resulting in the in-house development of a 2.0-litre diesel engine that powered the mid-sized Korando SUV. Three years later, the Mahindra-SsangYong venture also launched the large Rexton W SUV in the UK.
By 2015, the partnership between Mahindra and SsangYong remained strong, producing a new addition to its line-up, a compact SUV dubbed the Tivoli.
Mahindra's ownership stake in the South Korean car maker continued into 2018, when the brand opened the doors of its first factory-backed international subsidiary, SsangYong Australia, symbolising the “importance of the local [Australian] market”.
When did SsangYong arrive in Australia?
SsangYong first entered Australia in 1997 with the Musso SUV, which was sold through Mercedes-Benz dealerships across the country.
A year after landing in Australia, SsangYong models were sold and distributed by Daewoo, which took the Musso and Korando SUV and rebadged the two as Daewoo models between 1998 and 2002.
In 2003, SsangYong became an independent brand and was eventually re-introduced back into the Australian market under its own name through Rapsons Holdings – a third-party distributor – which remained SsangYong’s Australian distributor for around five years.
Rapsons would eventually transfer the distribution rights to Australian distributor Sime Darby in 2008.
Distribution changed hands just four years later, with Ateco – which today distributes brands such as LDV, Ram, Renault and Maserati in Australia – adding SsangYong to its manufacturer line-up.
By the time Ateco took over distribution in 2012, SsangYong’s Australian models included the Actyon Sports dual-cab ute, the small Korando SUV, the large Rexton SUV, and the Stavic people-mover.
2012 SsangYong Korando Adds New Entry Diesel And Petrol Options
By 2018, SsangYong had opened its first factory-backed headquarters and in-house distribution centre in Australia.
Its fortunes were quickly reversed, however, when KG Group acquired the rights to SsangYong after it purchased the brand for 800 billion won ($AU882.7 million) in 2022.
A year later, SsangYong won the crown for the Best Ute Under $50,000 in the 2024 Drive Car of the Year awards, following the Musso ute's improvement in overall handling, off-road capabilities, build quality and features.
Who is KGM SsangYong owned by?
SsangYong is now owned by South Korean chemical and steel company KG Group, which purchased the brand in June 2022 after its winning bid of 800 billion won ($AU882.7 million) was approved by South Korea's Seoul Bankruptcy Court.
Why is it called KGM SsangYong?
KG Group re-branded the SsangYong brand as KG Mobility (KGM) in its native Korea, as well as in other global markets such as the UK and New Zealand.
The parent company decided to abbreviate to 'KGM' alongside the retained 'SsangYong' name in Australia to continue the brand identity customers have been familiar with since the late 1990s.
What was the first SsangYong model?
SsangYong's first model was the Musso SUV, which was launched in 1997.
Interestingly, the vehicle was equipped with Mercedes-Benz technology following the partnership between the South Korean car maker and the Mercedes-Benz Group, which was then known as Daimler-Benz.
Where are KGM SsangYong cars made?
All Australian SsangYong models like the mid-sized Korando SUV, mid-sized Torres, large Rexton SUV and the Musso dual-cab ute are made in the brand's plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea.
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