KGM SsangYong rebrands in Australia starting with new 2025 Torres, plus Musso, Rexton and Korando updates

10/06/2024 05:00 PM

KGM SsangYong has officially rebranded in Australia, launching its fresh title alongside the new Torres mid-size SUV and updates for its existing vehicles.

The SsangYong Korando mid-size SUV, Rexton large SUV and Musso dual-cab ute are included under the KGM SsangYong brand – the company's new name in Australia – from 1 October 2024.

While the SsangYong name has been abolished in other markets – including New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and its South Korean domestic market – in favour of KGM, it will continue in Australia as 'KGM SsangYong' to transfer any cachet the old name has developed since the late 1990s.

SsangYong was acquired by parent company KG Group in August 2022 after it declared bankruptcy in December 2020 under previous owner Mahindra, with chairman Kwak Jae-sun confirming the new name of KG Mobility – or KGM for short – in January 2023.

KGM vehicles will retain the SsangYong winged logo.

Aside from the official rebrand to KGM SsangYong, there have been no changes to the existing Korando, Rexton and Musso line-ups for 2025 – but the brand has amended some of its national drive-away offers.

The KGM SsangYong Korando line-up is now $990 more affordable with the ELX variant available for $32,000 drive-away – while the top-of-the-range Ultimate has risen $10 to $38,000. A new Black Pack wheel option has also been added to the Korando Ultimate at $37,500.

Drive-away prices for the KGM SsangYong Musso dual-cab ute and KGM SsangYong Rexton large SUV remain unchanged – however, according to an industry price guide, the Rexton Ultimate Sport Pack has been renamed ‘Adventure Sport Pack’ at the same $60,000 price point.

"The KGM range includes the award-winning Musso dual-cab ute with its class-leading 3.5-tonne towing and four-by-four turbo-diesel drivetrain that has recently been awarded the 2024 Drive Car of the Year Best Dual-Cab Ute Under $50K," said KGM SsangYong brand ambassador Merv Hughes.

MORE: SsangYong Musso wins Best Dual-Cab Ute under $50K

KGM SsangYong will launch its first electric vehicle in Australia in the coming months with the Torres EVX using a 73.4kWh battery pack sourced from Chinese electric-car giant BYD for a WLTP-rated 500-kilometre driving range.

VFACTS new-car sales data reveals 4316 SsangYong vehicles were reported as sold in Australia between January and September 2024, a 7.3 per cent drop from the same time in 2023.

Its top-selling model is the Musso (2668), followed by the Rexton (1235), Korando (356), and the Torres (57) – which has just arrived.

SsangYong vehicles first arrived in Australia in 1996 with the Musso wagon sold in Mercedes-Benz dealerships and later retailed under the Daewoo brand from 1998 to 2002.

The SsangYong brand entered the Australian market in 2003 under a third-party distributor, which then transferred distribution rights to Sime Darby in 2008.

In 2012, SsangYong rights were passed to Ateco – which currently imports Renault, LDV, Ram and Maserati vehicles in Australia – before the brand entered hiatus at the end of 2016. It was re-launched under its current factory-owned distributor, SsangYong Australia, in 2018.

The last major rebrand in the Australian automotive industry was the switch from Datsun to Nissan in 1980, while Great Wall and Haval were consolidated under the GWM brand locally between 2020 and 2022.

2025 KGM SsangYong Korando price in Australia

• Korando ELX – $32,000 (down $990)
• Korando Ultimate with Black Wheel Pack – $37,500 (new)
• Korando Ultimate – $38,000 (up $10)

2025 KGM SsangYong Torres price in Australia

• Torres ELX – $38,000 (new)
• Torres Adventure – $43,000 (new)
• Torres Ultimate – $47,000 (new)

2025 KGM SsangYong Rexton price in Australia

• Rexton ELX – $50,000 (unchanged)
• Rexton Adventure – $54,000 (unchanged)
• Rexton Ultimate – $58,000 (unchanged)
• Rexton Adventure Sport Pack – $60,000 (new)

2025 KGM SsangYong Musso price in Australia

• Musso ELX – $40,000 (unchanged)
• Musso ELX XLV long-wheelbase – $41,500 (unchanged)
• Musso Adventure – $42,500 (unchanged)
• Musso Adventure XLV long-wheelbase – $44,000 (unchanged)
• Musso Ultimate – $45,000 (unchanged)
• Musso Ultimate XLV long-wheelbase – $46,500 (unchanged)
• Musso Ultimate Luxury – $48,000 (unchanged)
• Musso Ultimate Luxury XLV long-wheelbase – $49,500 (unchanged)

Note: All prices above are drive-away.

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