Nother CarGuy

Invigorated by its first profitable year since 2007, South Korea’s SsangYong is gazing into the future at Geneva with the XAVL concept, which stands for eXciting Authentic Vehicle Long. Funny name aside, the XAVL is a mid-size SUV with three rows of seats that is said to draw inspiration from the second generation classic Korando of the 1990s, though, you’ll have to really try to find common styling traits between the two. A further, more down-to-earth development of the 2015 XAV study, SsangYong’s XAVL will lead to a production model sitting above the Korando but below the Rexton. The XAVL is 4,630mm long, 1,866mm wide, 1,640mm high, and has a 2,775mm wheelbase placing it in the same league as the Nissan X-Trail. “I am delighted to unveil this concept which signposts the future generation of SsangYong cars,” said SsangYong CEO Johng-sik Choi. “XAVL is a further iteration of the XAV concept we presented at the Frankfurt motor show in 2015.  This longer bodied car will acco...

With exactly two weeks to go until the 2017 Geneva Motor Show welcomes journalists from all over the world, SsangYong has now revealed a new concept car. Named the XAVL (eXciting Authentic Vehicle Long), this Swiss-bound concept builds upon the XAV study that was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2015. It's also inspired by the classic Korando of the 1990s, as the South Korean company states, and judging by the teaser images released, it boasts an aggressive design, with angular lines. The overall look is carried inside, where the cabin has a minimalist layout with futuristic lines. An infotainment system is taking center stage, a rotary dial sits on the center console for gearshift usage, and the concept even features a few jet-styled controls. Additionally, SsangYong says that the new XAVL also carries a suite of safety aids for pedestrians, driver and passengers, and takes power from "both petrol and new clean-burning diesel engines". While this lat...