At approximately 15.45 BST (British Summer Time) on Wednesday, the m/v Faust – one of the world’s largest car carriers – made fast to the harbour wall at Royal Portbury Docks, Avonmouth, and shortly afterwards began to unload her cargo of SsangYong Korando cars.
The future of SsangYong as a global vehicle producer was recently secured following the 70 per cent acquisition of the Korean company by Indian engineering conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra, while the brand’s return to the UK was assured thanks to new investment in the importing company, now called SsangYong Motor UK (SYMUK).
Talking about the first car to be driven off the ship, Paul Williams, CEO of SsangYong Motor UK said: “It might be one small step for a car, but it’s one giant leap for the brand.
“The past two years have been extremely testing, and we wouldn’t be here today without the tremendous loyalty and support of our dealer network.
“The new Korando also means that SsangYong returns with a significant addition to its range and pitches the brand into the all-important crossover segment, one of the fastest growing in the UK car market.”
Further shipments of Korando as well as the 2012 specification Rexton off roader and Rodius MPV models will arrive within the next few weeks, and importation, processing and onward delivery to the SsangYong dealer network is being managed by SYMUK’s logistics partner, Quantum Automotive.
