▪ Ssangyong debuts new concept car XIV-1 that features advanced user interface and embodies the company’s unique design philosophy
▪ Automaker’s main brands Korando C and Rexton, and the SUT-1 concept car and gasoline-powered Korando C also being exhibited in Germany
▪ Ssangyong to solidify its presence as a global SUV maker through the auto show

Ssangyong Motor(President & CEO Lee Yoo-il; www.kg-mobility.com), part of the US$12.5 billion Mahindra Group, recently unveiled its premium CUV concept car XIV-1, which the company is developing as a strategic model for the global market, at the 64th Frankfurt International Motor Show in Messe, Frankfurt, Germany.

The XIV-1 is a concept car that represents Ssangyong’s design capabilities for premium crossover utility vehicles. Its renderings were released in August. The XIV-1, which stands for “eXciting user Interface Vehicle-1,” is equipped with an advanced user interface that enables drivers to use mobile devices such as smart phones to check information on and control the car, realizing a genuine Mobile Auto System without limits on time and place.

The XIV-1 boasts a full-length glass roof separate from pillars, and its flank design, inspired by the design lines of a yacht, highlights agility, speed and driving pleasure. Its front design has reinterpreted the robust image of the Korando and embodies Ssangyong’s design philosophy, “Robust Aesthetic Realization.”

The headlights, resembling the humorous smile of Korean traditional masks, are made with LED bulbs and the rear lights have three bars, highlighting simplicity and ensuring clarity of the driver’s intention. To enhance driver convenience, the XIV-1 uses an open tailgate with an upper part that can be pushed up, and a lower part that can be pushed down.

Its instrument panel is simple and easy to manipulate, possessing a bilateral symmetry that gives the driver a strong sense of stability. The center fascia is made of aluminum to add visual and tactile comfort and a sense of luxury. Pillarless doors make the car look more spacious and mood lighting that covers the whole interior of the car creates a unique interior atmosphere.

To satisfy diverse customer needs in the global market, Ssangyong Motor has held concept and design clinics, reflecting ideas generated from these clinics in vehicle design and development.

Building on the XIV-1, Ssangyong will develop an extensive product lineup, including the new concept Range Extended EV, and build up the company’s distinctive design capabilities through development of new concepts and research on the future-oriented infotainment system.

Ssangyong has a 750 square meter booth at the 2011 Frankfurt International Motor Show, which is being held from Sept. 13 to 25 in Germany. Along with the XIV-1 Concept, seven mass-produced brands including the Korando C and Rexton will be exhibited throughout the duration of the show. The SUT-1 Concept, which received favorable responses at the Geneva Motor Show in March, is also being displayed at the German motor show with its form much closer to the mass-produced model, as is the gasoline-powered Korando C, which is drawing much attention from the media and members of the global car industry.

Lee Yoo-il, CEO of Ssangyong Motor, said, “The XIV-1 is the culmination of Ssangyong’s product development capabilities and a strategic model for the global market that embodies our experimental and progressive design sprit,” adding, “The Frankfurt International Motor Show serves as an opportunity for Ssangyong, which seeks to become a global SUV maker, to further solidify its global profile.”