New SsangYong Korando e-Motion breaks cover with electric power

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aria-label="SsangYong Korando electric"

SsangYong has revealed the first official images of the new Korando e-Motion – an all-electric version of the Korando compact SUV that’s the Korean brand’s first production EV. First teased late last summer, the Korando e-Motion is the first new car to be unveiled by the financially beleaguered brand since it entered receivership in December 2020.

SsangYong claims that the Korando e-Motion will be on sale in Europe this August, and will make right hand driver UK roads before the end of 2021, however its not clear if it will make its way to Australian shores. No prices have been revealed, but it will offer cut-price competition for the likes of the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia e-Niro while directly rivalling the similarly budget-friendly MG ZS EV.

The adoption of electric power doesn’t result in a large redesign over petrol and diesel versions of the Korando, with the bodywork kept largely the same. It adopts some trademark EV design elements though, such as a more aerodynamic blanked-off grille with a new front bumper and fog light arrangement, aerodynamic wheels and new blue trim detailing around the car’s exterior to highlight its electric credentials.

aria-label="SsangYong Korando 2"Previously, SsangYong confirmed that the Korando e-Motion would be powered by a single electric motor producing 139kW – or 19kW more than the turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine fitted to the crossover’s current flagship model.

No further specifications have been revealed, but last summer, the brand promised a battery pack with a 61.5kWh capacity. That’s enough, says SsangYong, for a range of more than 420 kilometres on the outdated NEDC testing cycle.

aria-label="SsangYong Korando"While the range figure is a little down on the 454-kilometre NEDC range claimed by the Hyundai Kona Electric, the battery should still allow for a real-world range of over 320 kilometres. The only official certification of the car’s capabilities comes from Korea, where it is rated at 306km under Korea Energy Management Corporation homologation.

The firm says that production of the Korando e-Motion has already begun, and has also revealed it has begun work on its next all-electric model: a mid-size electric SUV codenamed J100.

James Brodie

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