Mahindra says no Ssangyong Korando launch this year

Mahindra will not be launching the Ssangyong Korando in India this year as was previously expected. This was confirmed by Dr. Pawan Goenka, president – automotive and farm equipment sector, Mahindra. 

The Mahindra Ssangyong Korando was the second product from the Ssangyong stable expected to be launched in India this year, but the company has put off plans for its launch till the following year as it wants to focus on stabilizing sales of the Ssangyong Rexton, which it launched in October 2012. Also read: Ssangyong Korando spotted testing in India

Mahindra says it expects sales of the Rexton to stabilize at about 500 units a month and only then will it think about bringing in its next offering from the Ssangyong portfolio. The Rexton has so far sold only about 400 units since its launch.

The Ssangyong Korando is a five-seater luxury SUV that will slot in between the Mahindra XUV500 and the Mahindra Ssangyong Rexton. It will come with a 2-litre diesel engine that puts out about 172 bhp of power and 360 Nm of torque. It will come in two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations, with a six-speed manual transmission and six-speed automatic transmission option as well. It comes loaded with safety features and has a 5-star Euro NCAP rating. The Korando will go head-to-head with the Skoda Yeti, when it comes into the market, but it is a slightly larger vehicle, almost as big as the Chevrolet Captiva. The Ssangyong Korando, when launched will be priced between Rs. 15 lakh and Rs. 18 lakh. Read more: Ssangyong Korando Photo gallery

Dr. Goenka also said that Mahindra may consider sourcing a petrol engine for the XUV500 from Ssangyong for export markets, or may also use a petrol variant built on the current 2.2 litre M-Hawk engine block. He also said the 2.2 litre M-Hawk diesel engine would be used in the Mahindra Quanto for export markets, but not for India, as it won’t get the small car excise benefits it currently enjoys.

So those of you waiting for a Mahindra Ssangyong Korando, will have to wait for another year at least.