M&M to produce Ssangyong vehicles at Chakan plant

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) would set up an assembly line at its Chakan plant for making Ssangyong sport utility vehicles (SUVs), said Pawan Goenka, president (automotive and farm equipment sector) of the Mumbai-based utility vehicle maker.

“The new assembly line for the Ssangyong products would come up at Chakan.” He, however, declined to state how much they would invest for setting up the assembly line.

M&M is in the final stages of acquiring troubled South Korean automaker Ssangyong Motor Company (SYMC). The company expects to seal the deal with Ssangyong before November-end, after it completes the detailed due diligence process, expected to get over by next month.

The company is charting a road map for launching SYMC’s vehicles here. The company is considering two products from the Ssangyong portfolio, Korando C and Rexton, to launch in India. While Korando C is a compact SUV, Rexton is a large-sized premium SUV. Mahindra will sell these products under the Ssangyong brand in India.

M&M’s Chakan plant can produce 300,000 units a year and will see an investment of Rs 5,000 crore over a period of time. The plant can manufacture all M&M products, ranging from a 0.5-tonne cargo vehicle to 49-tonne Mahindra Navistar heavy truck and sport utility vehicles.