Ssangyong Motor

SEOUL, March 5 (Yonhap) -- SsangYong Motor Co., the South Korean unit of Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., on Tuesday showed off its extended SUV line-up at the Geneva Motor Show in a bid to woo European customers.

South Korea's smallest carmaker said its all-new compact Korando, flagship G4 Rexton, Rexton Sports Khan -- the stretched version of the Rexton Sports -- and compact SUV Tivoli were displayed at the fair.

The Korando SUV, showcased here last month, is a new version of the eight-year-old Korando C. It comes with an upgraded 1.6-liter diesel engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

"I believe the new Korando SUV will be the best choice for European customers who are seeking the latest trend," SsangYong Motor Chief Executive Choi Johng-sik said during a press conference held in Geneva.

The new Korando SUV and Rexton Sports Khan will hit the European market in the second half of the year, and their release will be expanded to other markets such as the Middle East, the automaker said.

The SUV-focused carmaker plans to release the gasoline-powered Korando to achieve its sales target of 30,000 units in the domestic market this year.

In 2018, the maker of the flagship G4 Rexton and compact Tivoli SUVs sold 141,995 vehicles, down 1.2 percent from 143,685 a year earlier.

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

sam@yna.co.kr