Ssangyong Chairman W: The Launch

After a long hiatus during the year end holidays, it's time to return to my faithful car blog for more contributions. As with the previous article on the new Ssangyong Chairman, here are more updates to this anticipated vehicle.



I would say this car looks really handsome, and it's outer design pulls off pretty well compared to the latest Mercedes S Class. While others would say it's a total copy cat to the Mercs, I think this design is unique in it's own sense. Which car in this era doesn't have designs that coincides in some sense? I believe that although all the luxury marques each have their own distinctive styles, their body shapes are certainly starting to resemble one another. Why must people keep criticising Korean makes, even the Hyundai Genesis which I think deserves more praise than all the criticisms it gets. Speak Samsung and I think they certainly deserve more respect for all their products than we actually give them.


As for the interior of the New Chairman, other than looking a big roundish which feels inappropraite for it's smart design on the outside, the interior actually resembles the one of the S Class more than a Hyundai or a Kia, especially the centre column stack. Here's a photo for comparison:

The new Ssangyong Chairman W will be powered by a 5.0 litre V8, the largest ever produced in South Korea. It will also come in a 3.6l variant, which will reach our shores much later. The Chairman W boast massage seats, a Harmon Kardon sound system, as well as the latest technological wonder from Mercedes-Benz - the 7G-TRONIC gearbox. It also comes standard with four wheel-drive for greater stabiliy, as well as ten air bags including one for the knees. It is definitely seeking for greater competition among the luxury marques where it never once made its presence there.

As for the change of Ssangyong's logo and the name codename "W", Ssangyong is probably seeking a new re-branding exercise. Although the new Ssangyong logo looks more crisp, I actually find the stand-up logo of the Chairman of close-resemblance to that of the Hyundai Equus. Maybe Koreans just love flying objects on the bonnet of their cars.

Other than all the talk about copycat designs, this Ssangyong will make a difference to the family of cars, especially when it's two predessecors looked like scrap parts pieced together from the junk yard. Well done Ssangyong!