By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – Brace yourselves, SsangYong is back. This time the Korean vehicle manufacturers are attempting to woe the southern African motorists with a vehicle that carries a name similar to a popular home plumbing brand in the region, Tivoli.
Apparently Tivoli is a name of a town near Rome that is renowned for style, hence its use in kitchen and bathroom plumbing appliances. But, starting next year, it will be a badge for the Korean vehicle maker.
It has been some years since the South Korean company gave the automotive industry, outside Asia, a vehicle with a weird name to pronounce. It was called the SsangYong, which came as a Jeep Wrangler-like version as well as a Jeep-like SUV version, both oddly shaped but nevertheless good looking vehicles powered by Mercedes-Benz engines.
They carried the inscription on their rear back windscreens for everyone to see that they had Mercedes-Benz engines. The two vehicles proved a relative hit in the global market, including Namibia in the southern African market.
Then the marriage between Mercedes-Benz and SsangYong fell through, and SsangYong went on its own. The brand struggled to reinvent itself, and because the Germans had seemingly taken their style designers when the partnership ended, the shape turned to a sheer eyesore.
SsangYong’s attempt to produce a bakkie, double cab bakkie, for the rugged southern Africa motoring market worsened matters, partly because of the vehicle shape and styling.
Now though, SsangYong’s Tivoli is supposed to be a contender in the growing B-segment crossover market.
The Tivoli is due to be launched in Korea in January 2015 and then rolled out to global export markets, including South Africa, during the course of the year. SsangYong says the Tivoli will be powered by 1.6-litre petrol and diesel Mahindra engine.
The Tivoli has been under development for the past three years and is derived from the concept shown as the X100 at several motor shows. It will be the smallest and least expensive vehicle from the Korean company, which is now owned by Mahindra Automotive, part of the Mumbai-based international conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra.
“Mahindra South Africa and its dealers are looking forward to the arrival of the Tivoli next year as it will immediately launch us into a major growth sector of the local market with a well-equipped modern vehicle that will be priced competitively,” said Mahindra SA chief executive officer, Ashok Thakur.