Ssangyong to be renamed KG

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Ben Chia

05/01/2023

Korean carmaker Ssangyong Motor is set to be renamed KG Mobility, following its takeover by KG Group in 2022

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

South Korean carmaker Ssangyong Motor, known for its SUV models like the Musso, Rexton and Tivoli, is set to be renamed as KG Mobility, following the company’s takeover by new parent KG Group in 2022.

According to South Korean news outlet The Korean Herald, the news was announced by KG Group’s chairman Kwak Jae-Sun, who was quoted as saying in an address to journalists that “the name SsangYong Motor has a fandom with good memories, but it also has a painful image,” alluding to the company’s troubled past.

Kwak added, “From now, all SsangYong cars will come out to the world under the name of KG. Even with the name change, SsangYong Motor’s history will not change and (the carmaker) will have the same conditions.”

Kwak admitted that the name change was an extremely difficult decision, but said there was a need for a complete overhaul, including the brand logo and corporate identity. “We will change everything,” he said.

The name change could also signal a shift in focus to transform the company beyond car manufacturing, into a total mobility firm that incorporates developments in electric vehicles and autonomous driving technology.

The move will need to be approved at a general shareholders meeting, which will take place in March, but if official, the change will mark the end of Ssangyong Motor after a 35 year existence.

**The Ssangyong Musso was one of the first models from Ssangyong Motor to be exported. Picture credit: Wikimedia Commons**

Ssangyong Motor can trace its history back to 1954, when it first began as Ha Dong-Hwan Motor Workshop. It subsequently traded as Shinjin Motor and Dong-A Motor between 1967 and 1986, before it was bought over by the Ssangyong Group conglomerate, and was renamed Ssangyong Motor in 1988.

The Ssangyong Group went bust and was broken up during the Asian financial crisis in 1998, following which Ssangyong Motor fell into the hands of Daewoo Motors, which itself ran into financial troubles and subsequently sold its stake in Ssangyong Motor to Chinese group Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) in the mid-2000s.

SAIC then sold the company to Indian carmaker Mahindra Automotive in 2010, but after continual losses over a decade of ownership, Mahindra sold Ssangyong Motor to KG Group in 2022 following a long drawn-out restructuring process.

**Ssangyong Tivoli, the sole passenger car model Ssangyong currently sells in Singapore**

A spokesperson for Motorway Ssangyong, the official dealer for Ssangyong here in Singapore, said that there have been no official communication from the company’s Korean head office as yet, but will update accordingly with any further information once received.

About the Author

Ben Chia

CarBuyer's print editor went out to explore the Great Big World, including a stint working in China (despite his limited Mandarin). Now he's back, ready to foist upon you his takes on everything good and wonderful about the automotive world. Follow Ben on Instagram @carbuyer.ben

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