So long SsangYong: brand renamed KGM in the UK

SsangYong is dead. Well, the name is anyway, because after a rocky few years for the SUV and pick-up truck maker, it has been renamed as KGM with immediate effect. However the brand’s dragon wing logo will remain part of its identity.

The rebranding comes after SsangYong was bought by Korea’s KG Group in 2022, saving it from liquidation. Initially, SsangYong was going to be relaunched as ‘KG Mobility’, however the firm changed tack not long after, electing instead to use the simpler ‘KGM’ name in the UK and Europe. The full KG Mobility brand name will be used used in Korea.

When announcing the rebrand, managing director of KGM Motors UK, Kevin Griffin, said, “This is an exciting period for us all in terms of unveiling a refreshed, modern brand identity alongside the development and launch of impressive products which utilise new technologies.”

What does this mean for the current SsangYong line-up? Changes will be limited to some specification tweaks, with renamed trim levels for the Korando, Rexton and recently facelifted Tivoli SUVs. Meanwhile the Musso pick-up truck and Korando e-Motion – the brand’s first EV – will be untouched.

The first car to wear any KGM-specific branding is likely to be the new Torres SUV that’s arriving in the UK in early 2024. There will be a petrol-powered version with a 1.5-litre petrol engine, as well as an all-electric Torres EVX that will rival the likes of the Skoda Enyaq and Toyota bZ4X.

KGM has three more EVs in the works, including an electric pick-up truck designed to rival the Maxus T90 EV,  slated to launch by the end of 2024. The as-yet-unnamed pick-up truck will be based on the Torres EVX, with both vehicles featuring batteries from Chinese company BYD – makers of the Atto 3 SUV and Dolphin hatchback. Details about the two remaining EVs are under wraps for now.

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