SsangYong Torres Spied With Electric Powertrain

SsangYong is surely not a popular name in North America. In other regions around the world, however, the brand is known for its SUVs and off-roaders and this company is now working on a new electric vehicle. These are the first spy photos showing a prototype of the Torres with an electric powertrain under the hood.

The Torres is a mid-size SUV positioned between the Korando and Rexton featuring a more rugged exterior styling. Our spies caught a camouflaged prototype of the model with no exhaust pipes hinting at a battery-electric drive system. They even had the chance to snap the rear suspension of the vehicle and you can clearly see the battery package mounted under the floor.

15 Photos

Unfortunately, we have no preliminary details regarding the SUV’s powertrain. SsangYong’s only production electric vehicle is the Korando e-Motion which features a 52-kWh battery pack for a range of about 210 miles (340 kilometers) per charge. We don’t know whether this new electric vehicle will use the same mechanicals but it would make sense for the automaker to develop something new since this is a significantly larger and more expensive machine.

The Torres debuted with a conventional engine in June last year. Underpinned by the same platform that is used by the Korando, the mid-size SUV has a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with 168 horsepower (125 kilowatts) and 206 pound-feet (280 Newton-meters) of torque. A six-speed automatic gearbox is responsible for channeling that power to either the front wheels or both axles.

Word on the street is this new electric version of the Torres will be sold globally. SsangYong has plans to launch it in Europe and Australia where it will be a unique offering considering its rugged exterior. It will be interesting to see whether it will be the first model to wear the company’s new brand name. Just earlier this year, it was announced that SsangYong will be renamed to KG Mobility and all future products will wear a new KG logo.