SsangYong to become KGM Motors in the UK

SsangYong Motors UK has now become KGM Motors UK following a deal last year.

SsangYong was purchased by South Korea’s KG Group last year after an attempt by small electric bus firm Edison Motors to purchase the brand fell through as it failed to fully pay for the manufacturer. SsangYong had struggled with heavy debts following several years of losses.

Seoul’s bankruptcy court decided upon KG Group as the preferred bidder for SsangYong in June 2022 before giving the go-ahead to its debt payment plans two months later.

SsangYong exited its court receivership in November 2022 and took on the name KG Mobility – or KGM for short – in March this year. Though the brand’s name has changed it retains the winged logo that it had previously.

A new slogan – Go Different, KGM – has accompanied the change in ownership and name, however, with the manufacturer stating that the move reflected ‘a unified vision to inspire customers to embrace innovation and break away from the ordinary’.

Kevin Griffin, managing director of KGM Motors UK, said: “This is an exciting period for us all in terms of unveiling a refreshed, modern brand identity alongside the development and launch of impressive products which utilise new technologies.

“We have embraced the change here in the UK and we will continue to grow as a proud and respected SUV and pick-up truck brand.”

KGM originally started life as Ha Dong-Hwan Automobile Manufacturing in January 1954 before becoming Dong-A Motors in 1977. It then switched to the SsangYong Motor Company in 1988.