Ssangyong ‘X100’ baby SUV : EcoSport rival spied
Ssangyong has been caught testing a prototype of its forthcoming baby SUV ahead of its anticipated launch in 2015.
The South Korean manufacturer’s all-new sub-compact model – codenamed S102 but tipped to be badged X100 – will be built on a new platform developed in collaboration with Indian part-owner Mahindra.
Ssangyong’s smallest model is set to launch globally in the first half of 2015, roughly six months ahead of Mahindra’s version.
The pint-sized duo will be powered by a brand-new engine jointly developed by Ssangyong and Mahindra.
Details of the new engine are scarce at this stage, though rumours suggest it could be a turbocharged 1.0-litre unit with direct injection and variable valve timing, similar to the ‘EcoBoost’ engine available in the X100’s future rival, the Ford EcoSport.
Other reports suggest the Ssangyong will also be available with new 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.
The Ssangyong X100 is destined to become the brand’s first all-new SUV since the compact Korando that launched in 2010.
The production model follows a plethora of concepts from the car maker over the past few years. It’s expected to take inspiration from the XIV-1 and XIV-2 concepts of 2011 and 2012, and draw on the evolving design language of last year’s LIV-1 and SIV-1 concepts and the upcoming XLV concept.
If given the green light for our market, the X100 would not reach Australia before the second half of 2015. An anticipated circa-$20K price tag would position it just beneath the EcoSport, Holden Trax, and Peugeot 2008, among other sub-compact rivals.
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