SsangYong Plans US Launch

Despite the problems it experienced in 2009, South Korean SUV maker SsangYong is still not giving up its plans of becoming a global player. However, in a world where being present in as many markets as possible pretty much guarantees success, SsangYong is one of the small players.

In an attempt to fix that, the auto maker plans to expand its business into the market which started the entire SUV-mania decades ago. The United States, one of the most SUV-craving markets in the world, seems to be the logical next step for expansion.

According to Autonews, citing company executives, SsangYong plans to bring its business into the US within the next five years. The long time it would take the South Koreans to get there is proof of the fact that they plan their expansion carefully, being aware that a wrong turn might spell disaster. Loosely translated, the company needs all that time to insure that its models meet the emission and safety regulations in effect in the US.

Not the same can be said about the rest of the world. The company plans to sell no less than 120,000 units globally in 2011 (only 15,000 of which are expected to come from Europe, the brand's largest export market), up from nearly nothing in 2009 and a touch above nothing in 2010. In 2012, that number is expected to double to 240,000 units.

When it reaches the US, the South Korean brand is counting on an appetite which would bring it sales of about 20,000 units in the first year.