SsangYong is the rubber duck of the car industry – it has gone under on more than one occasion in recent years (and had it factory stormed by paramilitary police a few years ago), but it keeps bobbing back to the surface.
Now owned by Indian giant Mahindra, the Korean off-road specialist has launched a double-cab off-roader, which features sophisticated independent rear suspension and niceties like partially reclining rear seats.
Perhaps in the light of the Range Rover announcement, Mercedes has taken the opportunity to announce the new 4wd A Class, and also remind the world that it invented the 4×4 – back in 1907, apparently.
The Daimler Dernberg (Daimler was the original name of Mercedes) is said to be the world’s first commercially available 4×4 and had a 6.8 litre engine, producing 35 bhp. Mercedes also points out that the formidable Unimog has been in continuous production since 1947. The Unimog is short for Universalmotorgeraet, which translates as “Universal Motor Appliance” – the ultimate Swiss Army Knife on wheels (for those with budgets approaching six figures).
Clearly today is SUV bandwagon day. Chevrolet has released images of its new Trax small SUV, which will share its platform with the Vauxhall Mokka.
And guess what? Chevrolet claims to have invented the SUV, with the Suburban Carryall in 1935 – despite the fact that the Suburban did not get a 4wd option until the 1950s and, anyway, the Chevrolet Trax comes from the old Daewoo operation in Korea.
