Frankfurt Motor Show 2015: SsangYong XAV makes European debut

Could SsangYong be the next manufacturer from Korea to make it big? The name may not be as well known as Hyundai or Kia in the UK, but that could change with several new models in the pipeline.

And one of those is likely to come from the XAV-Adventure shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It may be a concept car at the moment but SsangYong has never been afraid to do things differently so don't be surprised to see something very similar become a production reality, replacing the current Korando.

With retro looks and styling details inspired by the original SsangYong Korando - admittedly not our first choice as a style icon - the XAV-Adventure wouldn't be the first SUV with a nod to the past, there was the Toyota FJ Cruiser, although it was never officially sold in the UK.

While SsangYong has in the past focussed on more traditional 4x4s, it's now following the crossover trend with its new Tivoli - a very impressive car for the money. The XAV-Adventure is a similar crossover which SsangYong says is aimed at a younger generation.

It's powered by either a 1.6-litre diesel or 1.6-litre petrol engine plus there's a hybrid electric E-4WD system. This uses a lithium ion battery and two electric motors mounted at the back, giving two modes - hybrid fuel economy mode and hybrid performance mode.

The XAV-Adventure has something called the 3S-CUBE system. This includes a special sensing device, which together with a smart motion control system, electric air suspension and ‘stereo vision’, monitors the road conditions and adjusts the suspension for optimised ride comfort. It also uses run flat tyres, with the tyre pattern suitable for on and off road driving.