SsangYong Targets 2020 Launch in U.S.

South Korea’s SsangYong Motor Co., which has been flirting with entering the U.S. for several years, says it will launch two small crossover/SUVs in the market by 2020.

The U.S. models will include an upgraded variant of the Tivoli subcompact crossover vehicle and a new version of the Korando compact crossover, CEO Choi Johng-sik tells Automotive News. Both will have 4-wheel-drive capability and otherwise be tailored for U.S. consumers.

SsangYong also is developing a pair of turbocharged 4-cylinder engines for the vehicles. This will include a 162-hp 1.5-liter mill and a 2.0-liter unit that makes 220 hp, Choi says.

The carmaker, which is owned by India’s Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., currently sells vehicles in Korea and Europe. It also plans to reenter the Philippines after an eight-year absence and expand into China.