Next-gen SsangYong Chairman
December 13, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
There is no arguing that SsangYong designs some of the oddest cars in the world. In most cases it seems that one designer draws the front and another the back, resulting in rather peculiar shapes.
The flagship model for the Korean manufacturer is the Chairman, a car designed to offer Mercedes-Benz S-class quality for 1/5th of the price. Having landed in Australia in mid-2005, the Korean made Chairman has struggled in showrooms. But now there is a new one.
The current Chairman makes use of an inline 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine, but the new one gets a V8 – a 5.0-litre V8. Details are sketchy but we know the new Chairman is actually built entirely by SsangYong, doing away with old Mercedes technology (current Chairman uses the previous generation E-class platform).
The current Chairman retails for $56,990 so the V8 should come in at above $60,000, but we won’t know for another two-three years as the W200 luxury sedan will first go on sale in South Korea next year.
The Korean company is now controlled by China’s Shanghai Automotive and plans a massive expansion with up to 30 new SUVs and cars expected by 2011. Keep an eye out for SsangYong as a few of those 30 models will make their way to Australia.
Print it: 
Who the hell pays $60,000 SsangYong?
Who the hell pays anything for a Ssangyong, period.
That will have some stiff competion with the upcoming
G E N E S I S from Hyundai.
Ssangyong as much more to grow before seriously competing in that market, at least Hyundai being here 21 years and now has the quality and reputation to prove to people to spend 60k plus on a Hyundai.
Koreans are coming along very very quickly though.
Exciting To Watch.
What exactly is the Merc connection with this bizarre (to me anyway)car manufacturer, is it for loss making tax reasons or something even more sinister?
$30 – $40k would have a chance, $60k they are on DRUGS!
The dual-cab ute is nice [not the old musso] if somewhat *in-your-face* but $30k is to much.
They need a 1 tonne van too, like the old one they supplied Benz MB140 etc [Istana i think its called?}
Cheers
F-0
Basically, you don’t buy a SsangYong if you love your dog, because it doesn’t want to be seen in one.
Rather buy a (Australian) V8 Holden Statesman better quaility and made for nearly the same price. And i dont care if shares the same platform as Mercedes-Benz.
To answer Lcat’s question.
SsangYong had the licence to produce a car (the Chairman) for the not current gen E Class but 1st gen round headlight E-Class platform.
Also MB gave the licence for some the diesel engines.
Other than that MB has nothing to do with them.
SAIC (Shanghai Auto. Industry Corp.) own 51 % of SsangYong and plan to intergrate it with the new Roewe (former Rover) brand.
So we may get more Roewe (passenger cars) sold under the SsangYong brand.
Possibly Chinese produced too :S