SsangYong New car showroom

The South Korean brand’s history began in 1954 as the Ha Dong-Hwan Motor Workshop that produced an array of vehicles including trucks and buses. It co-founded Shinjin Jeep in 1974 before changing its name to Dong-A-Motor three years later. The Ssangyong Group took over the company in 1986 and applied its name to vehicles such as the Korando. A partnership with Mercedes-Benz was formed in 1991, allowing the incorporation of some of the German brand’s components – notably its turbo diesel engines. The 1993 Musso large SUV was the first beneficiary. 2004’s Stavic people-mover was the top exhibit of a period in which Ssangyong vehicle designs weren’t exactly renowned for their style, though the Pininfarina-penned 2011 Korando and 2015 Tivoli compact crossover promised a more eye-pleasing direction. India’s Mahindra & Mahindra has owned Ssangyong since 2011, after the brand endured brief but difficult ownership periods with Daewoo and Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corp.