South Korea’s Ssangyong Motor Co. will release its new full-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) G4 Rexton in the European market in October.

Ssangyong Motor’s Managing Director Song Seung-ki said on Wednesday during a press conference at its Pyeongtaek plant in Gyeonggi Province that the company will start to ship G4 Rexton in August to release the car in Europe in October. He added the company aims to groom the new large-size SUV as its main export vehicle after developing a 2.0 turbo gasoline direct injection (GDi) engine for the model.

The Korean automaker sold 2,703 units of the G4 Rexton in May alone since its launch on May 1 in the local market. “We are confident in the G4 Rexton as the flagship model in our SUV-focused lineup,” said Song, adding that its sales are estimated to have reached around 2,800 units in June. The company has set a target to sell an average of 2,500 units of the G4 Rexton per month, and total 20,000 units by the end of this year.

The carmaker also plans to diversify its lineups by producing more gasoline and electric vehicles. “Demand for gasoline cars is rising after Volkswagen’s emission scandal,” said Song. “After studying the market and the government’s policy to reduce fine dust and air pollution, we will ramp up our production of gasoline cars.”

The company, owned by Indian auto giant Mahindra & Mahindra, is also gearing up its efforts to enter the Chinese market in the latter half of this year. Last year in October, it signed a letter of intent with China’s Shaanxi Automobile Group Co. to establish a joint venture and build its first manufacturing facility in the country. An official from the company said the carmaker is aiming to strike an official contract in the third or fourth quarter this year, adding that the local production would help it avoid the 22 percent tariff levied on imported cars in China.

By Park Chang-young

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]