Ssangyong Motor showcases C200 SUV concept at Paris car fair

SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- Ssangyong Motor Co., the South Korean unit of China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., was showing a concept version of its C200 compact sport-utility vehicle at an auto industry fair in Paris, the company said Thursday.

The C200 SUV, equipped with a 2.0-liter diesel engine and a six-speed manual
transmission, is one product of Ssangyong's efforts to diversify its line-up, the
company said in a statement.
"The C200 marks an important milestone that demonstrates Ssangyong Motor's strong
determination to transform itself into a global automobile company by
aggressively expanding its line-up," said Lim Suk-ho, managing director of
overseas sales at Ssangyong in the statement.
Ssangyong did not give information about when it hopes to bring the C200 to market.
With the C200, Ssangyong aims to challenge Toyota Motor Corp.'s RAV-4, Honda
Motor Co.'s CR-V and Nissan Motor Co.'s Rogue, according to the statement.
Since early this year, Ssangyong, South Korea's smallest automaker, has been
slammed by high fuel prices due to its line-up, which is dominated by
fuel-guzzling sport-utility vehicles and large-size sedans.
Ssangyong Motor Chief Executive Officer Choi Hyung-tak is widely expected to miss
his annual profit and sales targets this year, as the automaker posted a net loss
of 69.9 billion won (US$59 million) on sales of 1.32 trillion won. First-half
revenues fell 18.6 percent from a year earlier.
Amid dwindling sales, Ssangyong shut down its sole auto assembly plant in
Pyeongtaek, about 65 kilometers south of Seoul, from July 31 to Aug. 17, to cut
down on inventory.