SsangYong Motor Will Be Rebranded As KG Mobility

SsangYong Motor, South Korea’s oldest automaker, will live another day as the dying marque is being rescued by a consortium led by KG Group. Previously under India’s Mahindra Group, the failing SsangYong is due for a revival under a whole new moniker, called the KG Mobility.

This revelation has confirmed our previous report regarding the takeover of SsangYong Motor by one South Korean chaebol – a giant conglomerate run by an individual or family. KG Group is an industry playmaker in the whole peninsula that delves into steel and chemical businesses via its main affiliates, cordially named KG Steel and KG Chemicals.

Photo Credit: The Korea Herald

Such takeover will see SsangYong Motor being rebranded as KG Mobility, which include changes in the marque’s logo too. This revelation was confirmed earlier this week by KG Group’s chairman Kwak Jea-sun, saying that the rebranding is essential considering the “painful image” the SsangYong marque carries, albeit how extremely difficult the decision was.

“From now, all SsangYong cars will come out to the world under the name of KG. Even with the name change, SsangYong Motor’s history will not change and [the automaker] will have the same conditions,” said Kwak during a media event in Seoul, South Korea. However, the name change will have to be approved by the shareholders during a meeting later in March 2023.

As the new name suggests, this rebranding might also see SsangYong’s potential strategy shift from being a traditional automaker to a mobility firm.

Photo Credit: CarThrottle

As the country’s oldest automaker, SsangYong’s origin can be traced way back to 1954, where it was founded as Dong-A Motor before being renamed to SsangYong in 1988, due to a takeover by SsangYong Business Group. The marque had previously worked with automotive giants like Daimler-Benz in working its flagship midsize SUV, dubbed as the Musso.

Prior to this takeover by KG Group, SsangYong Motor was under the stewardship of Mahindra Group, one of India’s biggest conglomerates. Aside from SsangYong Motor, Mahindra Group has dipped its toes in auto manufacturing via one of its subsidiaries known as Mahindra & Mahindra, which by itself owns famed Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina and its Munich-based EV manufacturing twin called Automobili Pininfarina.

Should the shareholders greenlighting the name change, KG Group will oversee a whole change in the marque’s branding, corporate identity, as well as marketing overhaul. Unfortunately, it will also mark an end to SsangYong’s illustrious name that has lasted for more than three decades since its inception.