Will a name change be enough to boost SsangYong in Australia? Why the Korean brand wants to leave 'painful' memories behind it

As though SsangYong hadn't seen enough drama in the last two years (or, indeed, the last three decades), Korea's number three automaker is now due for a complete name change and branding overhaul under its new parent company, KG Group.

KG Group, a diverse chemical and engineering Chaebol in Korea, acquired more than sixty per cent of SsangYong from the increasingly uninterested Indian giant, Mahindra, several months ago, ending an excruciating two-year sale and "rehabilitation" process.

The new owner wants to leave the SsangYong (which literally translates to Double Dragon) nameplate and even brand identity behind it, with future models wearing new, simple 'KG' branding.

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Speaking to media in Korea, KG Group's CEO Kwak Jea-sun said the existing SsangYong brand needed to change. "The name - SsangYong Motor - has a fandom with good memories, but it also has a painful image," he said.

"From now, all SsangYong cars will come out to the world under the name of KG."

Mr Jea-sun also hinted at the brand's future direction in becoming a mobility provider and not just an automaker. "It would be convenient to just take out 'Motor'," he said, "but we will change everything."

SsangYong announced late last year that KG Group had paid the company's 'priority' debts and had injected more capital, as well as securing a long-term deal with its workers. Interestingly, KG Group also owns a media company as well as the South Korean division of KFC and a local coffee chain, Hollys Coffee.

SsangYong also plans to launch the new Torres, which will sit above the Korando but below the Rexton in its line-up sometime in 2023.

SsangYong was previously owned by Daewoo (before it became General Motors Korea), China's SAIC Motor (now of MG and LDV fame), and most recently Mahindra.

Despite several years of tumultuous history in its home country, SsangYong has launched an improved product catalogue into the Australian market, which currently includes the Korando mid-size SUV, Rexton large SUV, and its Musso ute. The Tivoli small SUV was discontinued in 2019 after a lacklustre run.

Over the course of 2022, SsangYong had a decent year, moving nearly 4000 units, up 32.4 per cent year-on-year. It was helped along by stock availability and keen pricing for its best-seller, the Musso ute, which can currently be had from $36,790 drive-away for a base ELX manual. The range tops out at a very reasonable $47,590 drive-away for the top-spec Luxury XLV auto.

Like the Korando before it, the Torres is expected to have a fully electric variant in the near future.

SsangYong also plans to launch the new Torres, which will sit above the Korando but below the Rexton in its line-up sometime in 2023. Although it is unclear if it will wear the new branding by the time it launches. The new name is set to take effect after it is approved at a general shareholders meeting in March of this year.

Like the Korando before it, the Torres is expected to have a fully electric variant in the near future, as the brand has major electrification plans across its range imminently.

Stay tuned as we keep an eye on SsangYong future plans as KG which should be announced by the new owners later this year.