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Ssangyong Actyon News

SsangYong revives Actyon mid-size SUV nameplate for 2025 with sleek design to rival the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, and MG HS
By Tom White · 16 Jul 2024
The 2025 SsangYong Actyon is as graceful as the nameplate has ever looked.
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Falcon depreciates fastest
By Neil Dowling · 03 Sep 2009
The humble Ford Falcon depreciates faster than any other car on the Australian market, retaining only 47.9 per cent of its value after two years. The Falcon BF MkII slid from $39,890 when new in 2007 to a mere $19,100 to delight used car buyers but create a financial headache for its first owner. But though it topped the list for the car to lose more money in two years than any other, information from automotive researchers Glass's Information Services show the Falcon wasn't much different from its rivals, the now-obsolete Mitsubishi 380 SX and the VZ Holden Commodore. The 380, dumped from Mitsubishi's line up after its Adelaide factory closed last year, retained the same 47.9 per cent as the Falcon and is according to Glass's data, is now worth only $15,800. Glass's operations manager, Chris D'Sousa, says there should be no surprises that the large car sector — of which the 380, the Falcon and Commodore belong — has been hit the hardest on the used car market because of last year's surge in petrol prices. However, he acknowledges that the niche market of the FPV range resulted in the GT Cobra retaining 92.2 per cent of its value after two years. On the other side of the ledger, small cars fared much better. The 2007 small car that retained its value more than any other was the Honda Civic Hybrid with a massive 87.6 per cent of its value retained. It is listed as costing $32,990 new and is now $28,900. But it isn't all good news for the little cars with the worse performer being the Alfa Romeo 147 GTA three-door that fell from $63,990 new to $37,600 now. Even the baby light-car segment has its heroes — the Mazda2 with a whopping 92.1 per cent retained value — and losers. In this case the Proton Satria lost 40.5 per cent of its value, slipping from $18,990 new to $11,300 now. There were interesting winners in the medium-car class, where the Mercedes-Benz C-Class diesels occupied the top 10 places. Sports car winners were dominated by the Ferrari models — the best is the Scaglietti with a 101.9 per cent retention meaning it's worth more after two years than when new in 2007. Even more bizarre is the Ford F250 and F350 range that record a retained value of between 112 per cent and 122 per cent. Mr D'Sousa says these cab-chassis and crew-cab trucks wee highly sought after by tow-truck operators and fifth-wheel buyers and, because they were now out of production, the used market has soared. 2007 LARGE CARS (retained value): THE WORST: 1. Ford Falcon BF — 47.9% 2. Mitsubishi 380 — 47.9% 3. Holden Commodore VZ — 48% THE BEST: 1. Ford FPV GT Cobra — 92.2% 2. Mercedes E-Class — 72.9% 2007 MEDIUM CARS (retained value): THE WORST: 1. Saab 9-3 sedan — 56.4% 2. Jaguar X-Type V6 — 56.4% THE BEST: 1. Mercedes C-Class diesel — 80.8% 2. Ford Mondeo LX — 76.7% 2007 SMALL CARS (retained value): THE WORST: 1. Alfa Romeo 147 GTA — 58.9% THE BEST: 1. Honda Civic Hybrid — 87.6% 2007 LIGHT CARS (retained value): THE WORST: 1. Proton Satria — 59.5% THE BEST: 1. Mazda2 — 92.1% 2007 SPORTS CARS (retained value): THE WORST: 1. Citroen C4 VTS — 51.9% THE BEST: 1. Ferrari Scaglietti — 101.9% 2007 SUV COMPACT (retained value): THE WORST: 1. Ssangyong Actyon — 54.4% THE BEST: 1. Mazda CX-7 — 82.7% 2007 SUV MEDIUM (retained value): THE WORST: 1. Holden Adventra V6 — 56.8% THE BEST: 1. Toyota Prado diesel — 88.9% 2007 SUV LARGE (retained value): THE WORST: 1. Ford Explorer — 55.7% THE BEST: 1. Mercedes GL diesel — 92.2%
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Korea with big plans
By Paul Pottinger · 03 Mar 2008
The Chinese-controlled Korean brand Ssangyong wants to reinvent itself in Australia with a new distributor and a reinvigorated “100 per cent pure diesel engine” line-up. If they pull it off, it'll be some feat. Ssangyong has been derided in these parts as a poor person's Mercedes, partly because of the more than somewhat derivative Chairman executive car, while what might be politely termed as the “singular” styling of the Stavic people mover launched a thousand quips. Launching the 2008 range, though, the impression is very much that better established brands who would laugh at Ssangyong do so at their peril. The brand that sold a meagre 2123 vehicles in 2007 will surely surpass their unduly modest 3200-unit target for this year. A new distribution company, SsangYong Motor Australasia, allies current distributor Russell Burling with the West Australian-based Barbagallo Group. Operating from its own premises near Sydney Airport, Burling says the company has the pull to access all-new vehicles from Korea within two weeks of production, by far the fastest of any imported marque. This line-up consists of either all-wheel or rear-wheel drive SUVs, twin cab utes and people movers, all stuffed with standard equipment, all priced lower than last year and all powered by a diesel engine. “That Mercedes connection is not something we have to advertise, people are aware of it,” Burling says. “The engine blocks are cast in Mercedes' South African foundry and assembled in Korea. But we don't need that connection, we can stand on our own two feet.” Ssangyong has lately become the biggest client of the all-Australian, Albury-based firm Drivetrain Systems International (DSI); manufacturer of the sophisticated six-speed tiptronic automatics for Ssangyong's top spec models. Ssangyong, Burling says, will offer the cheapest six-speed-slushers and the cheapest diesels in their class. “There is a huge move from petrol to diesel at the coalface. Six cylinder sales are going to suffer." “As to the price gouging on diesel, I think the Rudd Government will deal with that and realise that diesel is the good fuel for Australia." “I'm not saying we'll see it go to 70 or 80 per cent diesels here as it has in France, but it will be a dramatic change.” Ssangyong is offering a four-model lineup — Sports dual-cab; Rexton and Kyron, SUVs; and Stavic people mover. Each is topped by a model designated SPR, save for the outgoing Actyon SUV, which will be no more by year's end and is being run out at $29,990 — the cheapest diesel SUV around. SPR features include anti-rollover protection, Brake Assist, T-tronic auto transmissions with thumbs up shift controls, full leather trim, climate control airconditioning, slide and tilt sunroofs, rain sensing wipers, auto dimming mirrors and automatic headlight controls. Standard features on all models — be they ever so humble — include Electronic Stability Program, ABS with four wheel discs, alloys, curtain airbags and parking sensors. While other budget brands offer SUVs, the newly redesignated Sports — a dual cab utility with standard tray liner — offers a point of difference. The Sports Dual Cab 4x2 starts from $28,990, the all-wheel-drive from $31,990. That six-speed auto with cruise control is a $3K option on both. The auto and standard SPR is $39,990. Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbo diesel, good for 104kW at 4000rpm and 310Nm from 1800rpm. “There is no doubt that if you have to spend more than two hours day in your work vehicle then this is by far the most comfortable,” Burling claims. “I'm happy to stand up and be tested on that.” The Kyron medium SUV has either the Sport's 2.0-litre engine (at $32,990) or, in the SPR, a 2.7-litre 121kW/340Nm common rail turbocharged diesel (from $39,990). The range topping Rexton SUV uses the 2.7-litre unit and is priced at $35,990. The new Rexton II RX270 SPR priced is $49,990 with a 137kW/402Nm variable geometry turbo version and maximum equipment levels. Amusingly, given the riot that is its rear-end, it's the Stavic's grille that has been restyled. The base model is $32,990, the SPR $39,990. Burling admits that the Ssangyong name still causes some confusion, as opposed to the old Musso moniker.  
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SsangYong drops price
By Neil McDonald · 11 Aug 2007
SsangYong has slashed up to $3000 off the price of most of the cars in its range. On the back of the strong Australian dollar, which is making imports cheaper, the South Korean carmaker has passed on currency savings to Australian buyers.Prices have been slashed up to 8.3 per cent, translating into savings of up to $4000 depending on the model.And it has repositioned some models, the Kyron and Rexton off-roaders and Stavic people mover. Only Actyon pricing remains the same.The Actyon, which was launched in April, had already benefited from the more competitive dollar when it was released.The Australian dollar is trading at an 18-year high of more than US85c and some economists are predicting it may reach as high as 90c by the end of the year.SsangYong Australia's general manager sales and marketing Brad Larkham says, the price cuts makes the company's range better value, especially when combined with high equipment levels and the low operating costs of its turbodiesel engines.“It is simply a matter of giving customers the benefit of the increased competitiveness of the Aussie dollar and ensuring we are ahead of the game in a fiercely contested market,” he says.“Automotive companies are quick to pass on the cost when our dollar depreciates but often slow to return the favour when dollars goes up. We thought it was time to reverse that trend.“The fact is we have been able to secure a much better buy price from the Korean factory and that means better value on all fronts.”Larkham says SsangYong considered adding electronic stability control to its vehicles but thought the price cuts were of more value to customers and would also help raise brand awareness. However, stability control will be offered at some point, he says.“We'd love to have it across the board and the day will come when it will happen,” he says.The top-of-the-line Rexton Auto Limited is now $4000 cheaper with a new price of $49,990. The entry-level Stavic is $32,990, a saving of $3000.Larkham says the Stavic in particular is one of the best-value packages on the market.“The facelifted Euro IV-compliant Kyron is also a great example of our enhanced value,” he says.The top-of-the-range 2.7-litre auto Kyron has had $3000 cut off its price to $38,990 while the 2.0-litre manual drops $2000 to $32,990.Modest equipment changes mean the Stavic gets steel wheels in place of the alloys, while the Rexton gets 16-inch alloys rather than an 18-inch alloys. So far this year SsangYong has sold just over 1400 vehicles and it remains a small player in the local automotive scene. 
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Korean adds new models
By Mark Hinchliffe · 11 Feb 2007
SsangYong also revealed the prices for the new Actyon coupe compact sport utility five-door wagon and the Actyon Sports dual-cab ute. The Actyon will come in two- and four-wheel-drive with a 2.3-litre petrol and a two-litre turbo diesel. The 4 x 2 petrol, will start at $26,990 rising to $33,990 for the diesel 4 x 4. More details will be provided at the launch next month. The Actyon Sport ute comes with a two-litre turbo diesel engine in 4 x 2 for $29,990 $31,990 for the 4 x 4 and $33,990 for the "limited" top-of-the range 4 x 4 model. SsangYong Australia general manager of sales and marketing, Brad Larkham, said they called the Actyon a "Coupe Sport Utility" because of its sweeping styling and coupe-like appearance. However, the trade-off for the coupe styling of the compact SUV is that there is little room in the back for luggage. It is SsangYong's first compact all-wheel-drive featuring a two-litre turbo diesel engine. The European technology common-rail VGT turbo diesel produces 104kW of power and 310Nm of torque offering 7.8 litres per 100km economy for the manual and 8.5 for the auto. The 2.3 litre petrol engine produces 110kW and 214Nm and 11.3L/100km for the manual and 11.9 for the auto. Handling is enhanced by double wishbone front suspension and a five-link rear end. An Electronic Stability Program is standard on some models. The ESP system is the latest fifth-generation multi-function unit which is integrated with all of the Actyon's systems including the electronically controlled four-wheel-drive. Hill descent control is fitted as standard on some models. The new Actyon Sports dual cab utility replaces the Musso Sports which will remain as an entry level crew cab for some time. The Actyon Sports also will be available with the two-litre diesel engine and either two- or four-wheel-drive. The new dual cab ute has a wider track and cabin as well as a 20 per cent larger poly lined load tray than the Musso. It also has coil springs all round, double wishbone suspension at the front with a five-link rear end, unlike many utes, which use leaf springs at the rear. Actyon Sports has a load capacity of just over 800kg while it can tow up to 750kg unbraked and up to 2.3 tonnes braked.
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SUVs get the chop
By CarsGuide team · 03 Nov 2006
The compact SUVs spruiked at the show all had the same message: it’s still big enough, but it drinks less at the bowser.For the first time in a while, the show itself opened not with a futuristic technological concept car, but with an old-school ex-army urban assault vehicle.As the covers dropped on Holden’s new import, the H3 Hummer, there was absolute silence from the media, the photographers, and Holden employees.It was a heavy decision indeed, to make the ‘smaller’ H3 Hummer the opening star attraction.But it set a precedent for the rest of the show.Big is not necessarily better anymore, and even the leviathan Hummer has been shrunk to a more user-friendly size. So goes it with the SUV market, entering a mid-sized makeover with several smaller, more user-friendly five and seven seat models.A different seven-seater on the Holden stand may prove slightly more popular to both media and the environmentally and socially aware buyer.The Captiva is Holden’s new foray into the SUV market, a big moneymaking niche from which it has been excluded since the demise of Jackeroo and Frontera in the early 2000s.The newly-released five-and seven-seat Captiva, which runs a 3.2-litre six and sips 11.5L/100km, is Holden’s hopeful in the battle against arch-enemy Ford and its long-running local favourite, the Territory. But the Holden will have company.Though the SUV market has taken a dive in recent times, the mid-sized market is in a revival.Three prominent new mid-sized car based SUVs were launched at the 2006 Motor Show: the Land Rover Freelander 2; Subaru Tribeca; and Mazda CX-7.The Freelander 2 stands apart from the bunch as a premium model with more focus on off-road ability.The tired first-gen model with its lacklustre engines and major handling and safety concerns is replaced with two new models running a 171kW 3.2-litre six petrol and beefy 400Nm 2.2-litre TD4 diesel.Both are connected to a six-speed auto and full-time 4X4 system, and both the exterior and interior of the new model has had a major design overhaul. It looks tough, instead of tired.Subaru has finally brought in a model for the five-plus family to gorge on.Fears of losing the brand-loyal but expanding family have brought the Tribeca to the fore, part SUV, part MPV, Tribeca is the first all-new Subaru since the Forester in 1998.While second and third row seating in the seven-seat model looked tight, and its big hamster nose is as polarising as a pair of sunnies, the equipment levels for price of the $55K and up model line, combined with the safety of AWD, six airbags and five-stars in crash testing is a sure inducement.But the buzz surrounding the Mazda CX-7 was loudest in media circles.Looking like a Mazda3 on steroids, the CX-7 is the shapely new SUV entry that will join the recently-facelifted but still ageing Tribute, and the plain old MPV models.Just like the recently-launched MX-5 Coupe, we were the first market in the world to see the right-hand drive version of the CX-7, and also will be the first to get it on the street (in mid-November).CX-7 is definitely a challenge for Ford’s Territory Turbo; it is powered by the turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder DISI engine from the Mazda Performance Series (MPS) in the 6 and 3 lineup.Slightly down on power at 175kW (compared to the sedan and hatch MPS’s 184kW) and in auto only, CX-7 should be on or under $45K for the luxury model, with a bargain basement base sitting well below the leather and BOSE specced flagship.It is five-seat only, but a proposed seven-seat CX-9 (are the numbers confusing you yet?) could be here in another one or two motor shows.Ssangyong also had a tilt at the compact SUV market with their Motor Show release of the Actyon.Dubbed a “coupe SUV”, the Actyon further demonstrated a trend for car makers to trim down the softroader end of their “4WDs”.The Actyon is driven by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, with 104kW and 310Nm, and also comes with a 2.3-litre four with 110kW.The Actyon will also have electronic stability control and double-wishbone front suspension with a five-link rear end.Be it sporty, off-road capable, or fitting into a small parking space while fitting the basketball team in its innards, the irony still remains. In a world crammed with oversized SUVs, the mid-sized and compact market is also eyeing off a big parking spot. It is harder to argue the negatives of these more socially friendly, eco-friendly and carpark-friendly SUVs.Thank goodness for the likes of the Hummer H3.
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Ssangyong Actyon redefines the SUV
By Paul Gover · 01 Nov 2006
The company that brought us one of the ugliest cars is trying to win favour with something new. Ssangyong, the Korean brand responsible for the Stavic people mover, hopes to do it with the Actyon. It is a new move into the four-wheel-drive market with a more city and family-focused wagon that even comes without four-wheel drive. The Actyon was previewed last month at the Paris Motor Show and also hit centre stage at the Australian Motor Show. It joins the hard-working Kyron, Rexton and Musso with the promise of more comfort, style and driving enjoyment. The company is so keen on the car and giving it a new position that it wants the world to call it a "Coupe Sports Utility". "It's certainly not a typical boxy four-wheel drive and will stand out for all the right reasons," Ssangyong Australia sales and marketing chief Brad Larkham says. "Actyon has a very aerodynamic shape and will change people's perceptions of compact 4WDs." But it still has a mechanical package built around a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, with 104kW and 310Nm, though it will also come with a 2.3-litre four with 110kW. The Actyon will also have electronic stability control and double-wishbone front suspension with a five-link rear end. It will be seen in Sydney as a wagon, but Ssangyong also has a workhorse dual-cab ute to arrive next year.
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