New Chinese Luxury Sedan to Utilize Mercedes V-8 and 7 Speed Transmission

Ssangyong Motor Co Ltd names its new premium sedan the Chairman W and discloses it is powered by a 5.0L V-8 engine, the largest passenger-car engine in Korea.

Both the engine and 7-speed automatic transmission will be imported from Mercedes-Benz in Germany, Ward's is told.

Ssangyong, which primarily is a light-truck maker that became a unit of China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. in 2006, has enjoyed a long-standing licensing agreement with Mercedes.

The Chairman W, the auto maker’s first new model in 10 years, also will be available with a 3.2L inline 6-cyl. mill produced by Ssangyong, a company spokesman says.

The luxury sedan will go on sale in South Korea next March, with the reported goal of selling 20,000-units in the domestic market annually and 10,000 abroad, primarily in China.

thematrixhasu2 - 12/13/2007 1:02:56 PM

+1 Boost

The new Knight Industries KITT SUCKSTANG looks like a cross between
The fast and the furious, Star Trek the oringinal series and MAD MAX.

henbmw - 12/13/2007 1:33:10 PM

0 Boost

China has over 1 billion people and they can't produce their own engines/transmissions. WTF

chris760 - 12/13/2007 9:58:06 PM

+2 Boost

hey at least now we know that the engine is reliable...

KillBot - 12/13/2007 2:11:01 PM

+2 Boost

The fact that they're using Merc's 5 V-8 liter is smart. But, one thought comes to mind, and it's a HUGE, but possible, "What if?" so here goes. What if Ssangyong Motor Co does Merc's V8 what Koenigsegg did with with Ford's 4.6 liter V-8? Use it, study it, learn form it, and then make something like it but....BETTER. Is it possible for them to become real player in the next decade, that's the real question that comes to mind when a read this article.

w209w114 - 12/13/2007 2:13:33 PM

-1 Boost

This move definitely puts them WAY ahead of their Asian competitors.

JUGNU - 12/13/2007 2:15:32 PM

+3 Boost

SsangYong have always used the Old Mercedes Engines.

Musso, Korando, Rodius, Rexton all uses MB's 2.7 V6 and 3.2 V6. Rexton has a MB's Diesel engine.

So this shouldn't be surprising. btw previous SsangYong chairman were design wise too a clone of MB's S Class (W124).

On other note, Indian automaker, Tata also uses old MB's engines, their commercial vehicles like big busses and trailers uses old MB commercial vehicle's engines and other mechanical stuff.

JUGNU

MBKing - 12/13/2007 3:48:27 PM

+2 Boost

Here comes the end of the American car companies. You fought well America, but the end is upon us, I'm sorry. I tried to help.

pacotacolol - 12/13/2007 4:29:15 PM

+1 Boost

a v-8? america has had 1 cylinders to 16- cylinders