SsangYong wants this new SUV to seat seven passengers and rival models like the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Hyundai Santa Fe. We could see the Hyundai as a rival, but the Land Rover seems a bit out of reach. Choi says that “SsangYong has 65 years of brand heritage, coming from a body-on-frame chassis and diesel engines.” The company wants to expand production to 500,000 units per year using technology from parent company Mahindra and LG. The brand also showed off what a future seven-seat SUV could look like with the LIV-2 concept at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. If SsangYong were to ever compete with Land Rover, this would be the model to do it.
The LIV-2 is powered by a 2.2-liter diesel with 178 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque with a seven-speed Mercedes-Benz automatic. SsangYong also has a 2.0-liter GDi turbocharged gas engine with 221 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. We likely won't see this seven-seat SUV for a few years, but it looks like SsangYong is very serious about becoming more upscale and luxurious.
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