SsangYong XLV concept 7-seat compact SUV heading for Geneva Motor Show

The SsangYong XLV concept is previewed ahead of a debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show as a 7-seat compact SUV/Crossover heading for production.

Mahindra are spending heavily to make once beleaguered SsangYong a credible Korean car maker, and the SsangYong XLV concept – previewed today ahead of a debut at the Geneva Motor Show – looks very credible.

The XLV Concept is a revised version of the XLV-1 Concept we saw at Frankfurt in 2011 (followed by a convertible XLV and an e-XLV) but this new XLV does seem to be closer to production – and bigger – than the XLV-1.

The design of the XLV (apparently, the XLV stands for eXciting smart Lifestyle Vehicle) is an evolution of the XLV-1 with an aggressive nose (incorporating stacked LEDs), sharper lines on the flanks and a bit of a growth spurt.

The original XLV-1 looked like it was a B-Segment rival for the Nissan Juke, but with its length growing to 4430mm its actually bigger than the Nissan Juke and not much smaller than the Ford Kuga.

That extra length translates in to more interior room, and the XLV sports a 7 seat arrangement with a 2+2+2+1 arrangement (the 7th seat slides between the back two rows).

Powered by a mild hybrid powertrain featuring a 1.6 litre diesel coupled to a small electric motor, the SsangYong XLV promises to be quite frugal and that, coupled with its carrying capacity, should be a big attraction for families.

The SsangYong XLV will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and we expect it to turn in to a production model for 2015.