The SsangYong Korando Family was introduced in late 1988 as an SUV built on the chassis of the Isuzu Trooper. It carried the Korando name but, apart from that nameplate, had no relation to the Jeep-derived Korando that had been in production since the early 1980s.
SsangYong Korando Family at a glance
| Maker | SsangYong Motor, South Korea |
|---|---|
| Introduced | late 1988 |
| Basis | Isuzu Trooper chassis |
| Type | five-door off-road SUV |
| Relation to Korando | name only; a different vehicle |
| Context | first model launched after the company became SsangYong Motor in March 1988 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the SsangYong Korando, where the Family is covered briefly.
History of the SsangYong Korando Family
A new company, a new SUV
The Korando Family arrived at the end of 1988, the same year in which Dong-A Motor, the company’s predecessor, was renamed SsangYong Motor after its integration into the SsangYong Group. It was also the year SsangYong began exporting Korandos to Europe, so the Family was the first new model of the reborn company.
The Isuzu connection
Unlike the original Korando, which descended from the Jeep CJ-5 through a series of licence agreements, the Family used the chassis of the Isuzu Trooper. That gave SsangYong a larger, five-door off-roader aimed at families rather than at the utility buyers of the old Jeep-derived model.
The name
The Korando name was already established in Korea as the country’s longest-running vehicle nameplate, and SsangYong attached it to the new car. The company itself later noted that the Family had no relation to the Jeep-based Korando beyond the name. The original Korando stayed in production alongside it until 1996, and the Korando name continued on later models.
Design and features
- Isuzu Trooper chassis: a larger five-door off-roader than the Jeep-derived Korando.
- Family focus: the name and the body pointed at private buyers rather than utility work.
- New company: the first model introduced under the SsangYong Motor name.
SsangYong Korando Family versions
- Korando Family (from 1988): the five-door Trooper-based SUV.
- Original Korando: the Jeep-derived model that stayed in production until 1996.
The later three-door and crossover models are described in the SsangYong Korando article. More models are in the SsangYong collection.
Video: SsangYong Korando Family
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- SsangYong Korando, English Wikipedia: the Korando Family is described in the history of the first generation
