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Even if SsangYong had entered the U.S., they would’ve faced a branding problem first. Americans barely knew the name, and without strong marketing or dealer presence, they’d be invisible next to Hyundai and Kia.
Didn’t they have constant ownership and financial issues too? Hard to build trust in a market like the US when your company looks unstable from the outside.
Design-wise they always felt a bit off to me. Not ugly exactly, just… weird. Like they couldn’t decide what kind of brand they wanted to be.
I remember they were owned by like 3 different companies over the years
Biggest issue would’ve been service and parts. Americans won’t touch a brand if they’re not sure they can get it fixed easily. That alone probably killed any chance.
I had a friend with a weird import and waiting months for parts was a nightmare. Never again
I’ve seen a few SsangYong models overseas and they’re… fine? But in the US, “fine” isn’t enough. People will just go with Toyota or Ford without thinking twice.
Also resale value. Nobody wants to be stuck with a car no one else wants to buy later
Exactly. If I’m spending that kind of money, why gamble on a brand I barely know?
Honestly, it wasn’t even about the cars being bad. The US market is just brutal. If you don’t have a massive dealer network and deep pockets, you’re basically dead on arrival.
Yeah exactly. People underestimate how important dealerships are in the US. No one’s buying a car they can’t service locally.