SsangYong’s bold-looking upcoming SUV has a name: Torres.
Named for the stunning Torres del Paine National Park in Chile (“Torres” means “towers” in Spanish), the new SUV will slot between the mid-sized Korando crossover and the large Rexton SUV.
Production of the Torres – previously codenamed J100 – will begin in June, and it’ll offer an electric powertrain.
A spokesperson for SsangYong Australia said the Torres is in the company’s plans. Timing has yet to be confirmed.
We’ve seen teasers of the Torres before, while its rear end was spied undisguised. The latest set of teasers give us more angles of the mid-sized SUV, however, which debuts a new design language for the brand.
There are flared fenders, chunky styling, distinctively shaped lighting signatures, and a Jeep-like slotted grille.
Perhaps the most distinctive element is the tailgate, which features a large bulge simulating the external spare-wheel carriers of rugged SUVs.
The teasers also depict the Torres wearing roof-mounted driving lights, as well as chunky off-road tyres. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a 4WD badge can be seen on the fender.
SsangYong confirmed to Korean media it’ll be available with “various customised products suitable for the leisure environment” that “can express customers’ individuality while being practical”.
The company says it’ll “explore new markets across segments”.
The overall look is designed to look more rugged and in-your-face than tamer SsangYong fare like the Korando.
It’s possible, however, this J100 will feature a more car-like unibody architecture, like the Korando, instead of body-on-frame construction like the Rexton.
The combination of unibody platform and bluff styling, therefore, would be similar to the formula employed by the likes of the Ford Bronco Sport and Haval Dargo.
SsangYong’s announcement didn’t include any technical information about the Torres, such as dimensions or powertrain specifications.
It won’t be SsangYong’s first electric SUV as the company has already revealed an electric version of the mid-sized Korando called the Korando E-Motion.
The electric crossover uses a 61.5kWh battery and a front-mounted electric motor with 140kW of power, with a claimed WLTP range of 339km.
It goes on sale in Europe early this year, though it remains “under study” for Australia.
SsangYong has previously confirmed its EV range will grow to include a related ute and has also teased a rugged-looking, small SUV codenamed KR10, inspired by the generations of Korando before it became a unibody crossover.
More recently, it confirmed an electric SUV codenamed E100 will be launched in the second half of 2023.
The company is about to go through the auction process again to find a new buyer after an acquisition by Korean electric bus manufacturer Edison Motors fell through.
KR10 
A consortium led by chemical-to-steel firm KG Group was reportedly chosen by the Seoul Bankruptcy Court last Friday as the preliminary bidder at this month’s auction.
SsangYong has until October 15 to find a new owner and submit a new restructuring plan to the Seoul Bankruptcy Court.
It says it aims to sign a deal in early July and submit its plan to the court later that month in order to receive approval late in August.
MORE: SsangYong could be acquired by Korean steel company – report
