A new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid alternative! 2024 SsangYong Torres EVX electric car confirmed, but will it come to Australia?

A new competitor to the Toyota RAV4 is coming from Korea soon, but not from Kia or Hyundai. Instead, SsangYong is throwing its hat into the ring to vye for some of the sales held by the most popular passenger car in the country.

But not only is the RAV4-sized SsangYong Torres coming, it might even come with a fully electric variant.

Teasers from the brand confirming the Torres EVX's reveal for late this month come not long after the brand's local arm spokesperson, John Taylor, confirmed to CarsGuide that the petrol version of the Torres is on track for a launch at the end of 2023.

"We've had a lot of enquiry around that model, there's a lot of excitement around it at both a dealer level from customers and from the media," he said.

The petrol Torres is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 125kW/280Nm, and the option of mild-hybrid, but exactly what specification it shows up to in Australia is yet to be determined.

As for the electric version, details for the Torres EVX are slim right now. Set to be officially unveiled at the 2023 Seoul Mobility Show, the EVX could use some of the same tech as another electric SsangYong, the Korando e-Motion.

The Korando makes 140kW with a 62kWh battery and has a 340km driving range, though word is that since SsangYong found a new owner in KG Group, a deal with BYD means the brand could use battery tech from the Chinese company instead.

As previously reported, the Torres EVX is also confirmed to feature an upgraded interior over the petrol version, with the traditional centre console multimedia screen setup replaced with a long panel that encompasses the instrument cluster as well, as is becoming the standard.

Outside, some similar styling to the Torres is clear, though its front 'Willy's Jeep-like' grille that harks back to SsangYong's days of constructing the war vehicles is replaced with a more futuristic, closed off face for better aerodynamics as with most electric cars.

While KG Group has flagged that the SsangYong brand will change names globally, set to be determined this month, there's "no news on the name change in Australia", according to Taylor.

"At a local level we're not that far ahead in discussions, so we don't know if or when there's going to be an impact. At a global level, yes they're changing it.

"There's a lot to change, and there's a lot of brand recognition [in Australia] as you can imagine. It has some traction in the marketplace which will have to be considered."

The Torres EVX will be revealed in full by March 30 at the 2023 Seoul Mobility Show.