Ssangyong to launch electric crossover in 2019

Oct 15, 2016, 11:00am ET

The electric Korando will boast a 186-mile range.

South Korea's Ssangyong Motor Company has announced plans to break into the electric vehicle segment before the end of the decade.

The company is in the early stages of developing an electric version of the next-generation Korando crossover. Technical details are few and far between, but the model is expected to offer about 186 miles of range in ideal driving conditions. The drivetrain is being designed by India-based parent company Mahindra & Mahindra, and it will also be used in a handful of other models.

Visually, the electric Korando will look about the same as its gasoline- and diesel-burning counterparts. Ssangyong has previously hinted the model will borrow more than a few styling cues from the year-old XAV concept (pictured), which is arguably more than a little inspired by the now-defunct Toyota FJ Cruiser. The company claims the inspiration for the XAV came not from the FJ but from the original 1986 Korando, which was essentially a Jeep CJ-7 knock-off.

Ssangyong's first-ever series-produced electric model is scheduled to hit the market in 2019. The company isn't shy about its plans to give the United States market a shot, so there's a good chance we'll see the battery-powered off-roader on our shores sooner rather than later. When it lands, the electric Korando will compete against the upcoming electric version of the Kira Niro.