Spyshots: SsangYong C200

Leaving the company's financial problems aside, SsangYong is ready to rise from the dead. The South Korean carmaker is currently testing the C200, a concept displayed for the first time at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and the first model to be launched after the end of the long financial chaos the company was involved in.

Spotted during winter testing in Sweden, the C200 is due to enter production at the end of the year and go on sale in early 2011.

As you can see in the photo gallery, the car is similar in dimensions with Toyota's RAV4 and VW Tiguan. The design is made by Giugiaro's ItalDesign studio, which might give it a slight advantage in the race against the two aforementioned models. Preliminary figures are pointing to a 4.4 meter length, which makes it the smallest vehicle in SsangYong lineup.

It will employ a monocoque construction and several aluminum components that will contribute to improved handling and reduced emissions and fuel consumption.

And speaking of fuel consumption, the car is expected to be offered with three engines, depending on the option you choose. There will be two versions available: Aero - equipped with 175-horsepower 2.0-liter turbodiesel or 1.8-liter gasoline engines - and Eco - to feature a diesel-hybrid configuration.

The engines will be mated to a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission, with either front- or four-wheel drive configuration.

Specific details are not yet available, but more information should emerge soon as SsangYong will most likely present the production model this year at one of the upcoming auto shows.