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2021 SsangYong Korando ‘E100’ electric SUV teased

SsangYong has teased the long-promised all-electric version of its mid-size Korando SUV, despite uncertainty around the brand's future as it seeks new investors.


The final production name is yet to be confirmed, though internally it has been codenamed Korando E100.

Two teaser renderings released by the Korean brand reveal its first electric vehicle will bear a close resemblance to the e-SIV concept revealed at the 2018 Geneva motor show.

On the styling front, buyers can expect a futuristic face with a slim, closed-off grille, plus chiseled lower air intakes and a blue accent stripe along the bottom of the bumper.

No images have been released of the Korando EV's rear, but if the e-SIV concept is any guide, expect a full-width LED tail-light bar and an F1-style lower brake light.

The renderings proudly feature SsangYong’s Korean-market badge on the vehicle’s grille, lending weight to overseas reports that the electric Korando will launch first in its home market before eventually expanding to other regions.

 

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The electric SUV’s bonnet will be made from aluminium, one of likely numerous measures to reduce weight and eek out every last kilometre of driving range.

Speaking of range, the Korean carmaker confirmed to British magazine Auto Express in 2019 that its first electric vehicle will feature a 61.5kWh lithium-ion battery manufactured by LG Chem, said to enable a range on the lenient NEDC cycle – a program superseded in Europe but equivalent to current Australian standards – of 420 kilometres.

That’s shy of the 450km 'real world' WLTP figure quoted by the smaller Hyundai Kona Electric, although an earlier NEDC figure for the Kona Electric was 557km. We can likely expect that, on the stricter WLTP test cycle now used in Europe, the E100’s range claim might drop closer to the 300-350km mark.

The all-electric 2021 SsangYong Korando is set to be revealed in the first half of 2021. An Australian debut for the model has yet to be locked in.

Moving beyond its upcoming EV, a wider future for the SsangYong brand is in doubt. Parent company Mahindra held back a $423 million investment in the Korean marque back in April, and is rumoured to be looking to unload its 75 per cent share in the company to a new investor following financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alex Misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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