A month after its re-launch, Korea’s fourth largest automaker organized a ride and drive with the motoring media to highlight the capabilities of its vehicle line-up and to jumpstart its domestic operations.
With the event being led by automotive industry veteran and SsangYong Berjaya Motor Philippines (SBMP) Managing Director David Macasadia, lead footed motoring pen pushers got behind the wheel of the Tivoli crossover SUV, AWD Korando and the 2.0 liter AWD Rodius MPV. “SsangYong has been known for its resiliency over the years,” says Macasadia. “With over sixty years of manufacturing vehicles, SsangYong has evolved into a brand that dares to be different as the vehicles you will drive today and tomorrow will attest,” adds Macasadia, before the convoy drove off for Mariveles, Bataan, a historic part of Northern Luzon where the combined armed forces of the United States and the Philippines took a stand against the onslaught of the Japanese Imperial Army during WW2.
The drive to Bataan seemed symbolic for Ssangyong, who is staging a comeback in a small, yet highly competitive local automotive market. “It reflects our firm resolve to make our presence felt and to let everybody know that we are committed to see this through no matter the costs,” says Macasadia.
A footnote to SsangYong’s history started early morning as the convoy set off to its journey of discovery from its spanking new showroom and service center along Quezon Avenue, in Quezon City. Participating mediamen were grouped into sets and spread evenly among the test units prepared by the hosts. Strategic stops along the way provided driver changes so everyone can experience the fleet of Ssangyong variants such as the 1.6-liter gasoline and diesel engine variants of the Tivoli crossover SUV, the 2.0-liter diesel Korando all-wheel drive compact SUV, and the 2.0-liter all-wheel drive Rodius MPV. The driving component was a 420-kilometer round-trip drive to Bataan via San Fernando, Pampanga, the Pampanga Megadike Access Road, and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. The convoy stopped over at the Dambana ng Kagitingan Monument at Mt. Samat in Bataan before proceeding to its final scenic stop at the FAB Dam in Mariveles.
“From our hardworking but luxurious people carrier, the Rodius; to our dependable and capable SUV, the Korando; and of course, our newest and most eye-catching compact crossover, the Tivoli – all of our models cater to the immediate needs of the Filipino family, the hippie, the millennial and even the practical everyday driver,” reveals Macasadia, who also intimated that three more full service dealerships are scheduled to be opened in Cebu, Visayas and Davao.