April 26, 2024

• 

[THE INVESTOR] SsangYong Motor, the Korean unit of India’s Mahindra & Mahindra, said on July 11 that the carmaker’s latest premium SUV G4 Rexton made its debut in New Zealand last month before its official launch in September.

The car was unveiled at the New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays trade show held on June 14-17. The event attracts more than 130,000 visitors and 1,400 exhibitors from diverse fields such as agriculture, information technology and automobiles each year. 

SsangYong said it set up the biggest exhibition booth at the show and displayed 20 cars. The carmaker also offered an off-pavement test-driving program to boast the G4 Rexton’s advanced suspension tolerating shocks from extreme road conditions.

“We are getting a solid foothold in New Zealand through aggressive marketing,” SsangYong Motor CEO Choi Jong-sik said in a statement.

The carmaker has held SsangYong Racing Series, part of New Zealand’s biggest motorsport event, BNT New Zealand SuperTourers, since 2014. It also sponsors diverse sports events to elevate its brand awareness.

The G4 Rexon made its world premiere at the Seoul Auto Show in March. Since the car sales started in May, over 5,500 units have been sold in Korea alone. The company plans to debut the car in Europe in October.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)