Chinese carmaker Chery will supply its SUV technology to South Korea’s KGM Ssangyong, in a move that will see the latter develop new medium and large petrol and hybrid SUVs for its domestic market, according to local reports.
It builds on a previous deal signed in October last year, which gave KGM Ssangyong access to Cheryl's 'Global Technology Platform', a modular platform designed to underpin petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric cars, to counter Hyundai and Kia’s dominance in the South Korean market.
The new agreement reportedly gives it further access to Chery’s self-driving technology, as well as more advanced electrical architecture to further develop software-defined-vehicles.
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A new KGM Ssangyong SUV using a Chery platform is slated to arrive in 2026, although it is unclear whether we will see it in Australia.
In addition to the partnership with Chery, KGM Ssangyong recently partnered with American components manufactuer Phinia Delphi to develop diesel-hydrogen technology for its range of commercial vehicles, which currently includes the Musso ute.
Chery has been one of the biggest success stories in the Australian market this year, with sales of its SUV-only line-up skyrocketing by a staggering 216.6 per cent in the first three months of the year compared to the same period last year.
As of March, Chery has sold 6057 cars, up from 1913 last year, with the vast majority of those sales coming from the Chery 4 Tiggo Pro small SUV, which is currently the second-cheapest car in the country.
KGM Ssangyong, meanwhile, has struggled locally with sales down 18.6 per cent to the end of March compared to the same period last year, or 1368 sales down to 1114.
The brand’s current top-seller is the Musso ute, with its SUV models – the Korando, Rexton and Torres – proving less popular.
Further reinforcements in the upper mid-sized KGM Ssangyong Actyon and electric Musso EV ute are expected later this year to try and help turn things around.
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