Ssangyong Motor

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- SsangYong Motor Co., the South Korean unit of Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said Tuesday it will launch a new sport utility vehicle next week to take advantage of rising consumer demand. 

The 2.2-liter diesel-powered Rexton Sports SUV will go on sale in the domestic market on Jan. 9, with a price tag of 23.5 million-30.9 million won (US$22,000-$29,000), SsangYong Motor said in a statement. 

The all-new Rexton Sports shares the platform with the G4 Rexton SUV, a 2.2-liter diesel-powered flagship model launched last year. 

In the January-November period of 2017, the maker of the Rexton and Tivoli SUVs sold a combined 129,477 cars, down 6.9 percent from 139,139 a year earlier. The full-year sales results will be announced later Tuesday. 

Mahindra & Mahindra owns a 72.85-percent stake in SsangYong Motor. 

A photo provided by SsangYong Motor of its Rexton Sports SUV (Yonhap)