New Ssangyong Chairman

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Not an S class. Not a Genesis.
But the new Ssangyong sedan. Granted, it is better looking than any of their SUVs, but what isn’t.

When I was in Korea a few years ago I remember thinking, “what is this Mercedes with a weird logo on it?”
That was not a Mercedes but a korean copy named Ssangyong.
Well.. the new one still looks like a pathetic Mercedes copy.
That’s too bad, especially after showing us the concept version a few months ago, that looked nothing at all like this. And so much better.

Another one for the geezer crowd….

Conversation 14 comments

  1. North Korea is a 3rd world, Africa is a 3rd world; South Korea where Ssangyong (and Hyundai) made is not a 3rd world. S.Korea economic is comparing to Japan. Get the fact straight.
    And I am sure someone like Douchebag Jones would said the same statement 30yrs ago when Honda and Toyota started selling cars here.

    Back to the topic, the car doesn’t look that good, especially the interior. It sure copy the style from Mercedes. However, from what I know Ssangyong DOES buy Mercedes older design powertrain; not sure if this one use it but I am 100% sure they did for the old models. So i guess they buy the right to copy their style too??

  2. The headlights are an exact copy of the ones found on the S class, no originality or personality whatsoever.

  3. Did you know that Ssangyong has Mercedes license to use their design, so yelling copy cat when they have the right to copy the design.

  4. The SSyangyong / Mercedes relationship actually originated with Mercedes commisioning SSyangyong to built its vehicles, as a way around Korea’s steep import tariffs… During MB refreshing cycles, MB called the shots on the updates to the SSyangyong designs.

    Does anyone know if this is still the case recently?

  5. too bad this car isn’t chinese…

    I thought China owned it like they do the United States.

    My bad.

  6. to the:
    Anonymous said…
    The Chinese are out of control and need to be spanked hard.

    February 20, 2008 4:05 AM

    PLEASE< GO GET YOURSELS A PAIS OF NEW SET OF EYE BALLS. IT SAYS KOREAN MADE!

  7. PLEASE< GO GET YOURSELS A PAIS OF NEW SET OF EYE BALLS. IT SAYS KOREAN MADE! No need to shout with the caps lock on, but look what I found on Wikipedia: “In 1997 Daewoo Motors bought a controlling stake from the Ssangyong Group, only to sell it off again in 2000, because the conglomerate ran into deep financial troubles. In late 2004, the Chinese automobile manufacturer SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) took a 51% stake of SsangYong Motor Company.

    I was right after all. My eyeballs are fine, thank you very much.

  8. Mercedes in the front, Lexus LS from the side.. does it have a BMW 7-series Bangle butt in the rear?

  9. anonymous said…

    too bad this car isn’t chinese…

    February 20, 2008 6:43 AM

    But it is. Just like Chrysler is German.

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