Ssangyong Motor

SEOUL, April 11 (Yonhap) -- SsangYong Motor Co., the South Korean unit of Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said Thursday it will start selling the all-new Korando SUV in Europe later this year.

The company unveiled the Korando SUV last month at dealerships in such countries as Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. Last week, the model was also introduced in Britain, the company said in a statement.

The Tivoli, Rexton Sports -- called Musso in Europe -- and Korando SUVs have been available in certain European markets. In February, the carmaker launched the new Korando mated with a 1.6-liter diesel engine and a six-speed automatic transmission in South Korea.

"The new Korando will go on sale in the European markets in the second half of this year. The Korando models to be sold in Europe will be gasoline-powered," a company spokeswoman said.

SsangYong said it is moving to launch Korando models in Latin America, the Middle East and the Oceania region later this year.

In the January-March quarter, SsangYong sold 33,627 vehicles, up 9.7 percent from 30,664 units a year earlier, helped by robust demand for SUVs in global markets.

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

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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