SsangYong has new owners: after a decade under Mahindra’s orbit, the South Korean firm (which went into receivership in April last year) has been acquired by Edison Motors, a manufacturer of electric buses and trucks that aims to transform it into a brand specializing in electric vehicles.
SsangYong already markets a model of this type, the Korando e-Motion; however, Edison Motors aspires for the company to have a range of 20 zero-emission models in 2025, reaching 30 by the end of the decade. This same year the launch of two of them is planned, the J100 and the X200.
The first to arrive will be the J100. In the absence of knowing its dimensions, it is expected to fall within the D segment (medium SUV), becoming a more familiar alternative to the Korando e-Motion. The decision to attack this category is ambitious, as it includes proposals such as the Hyundai IONIQ 5 or the Skoda Enyaq iV.
Although we already knew the main lines of the J100 thanks to a series of sketches that the brand launched a few months ago, the final model has been photographed completely uncovered in South Korea. Given the advanced stage of development of the project, it is very likely that its official presentation will take place very soon.
The SsangYong J100 will be presented this year
The SsangYong J100, whose commercial name remains a mystery, boasts an off-road-inspired design seasoned with certain retro touches. Its check-shaped headlights are encompassed by a grille with vertical slats, which is strongly reminiscent of some Jeep models.
The horizontally designed hood, the squared wheel arches, the bars on the roof, the “hump” on the tailgate (which seeks to imitate the shape of a spare tire), and the vertical pilots give it a more rugged appearance than that of most electric SUVs on the market; In addition, customers will be able to choose different color combinations for the bodywork (one of the units photographed has a contrasting roof and mirrors, while in the other it is the bumpers, the “hump”, the spoiler and the C-pillar that they look a different tone than the rest of the panels).
Although its technical characteristics will not be disclosed until the moment of its presentation, it would not be surprising if the J100 reused the Korando e-Motion platform. However, the newcomer may differentiate itself by employing a more capable battery pack (61.5 kWh in the Korando); In addition, we should not rule out the appearance of versions with all-wheel drive.
