2012 Paris Motor Show - 2012 Ssangyong e-XIV Concept revealed

After presenting the XIV and the XIV-2 concept in the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and 2012 Geneva Motor Show respectively, Ssangyong has unveiled the third iteration in the XIV series in the form of 2012 Ssangyong e-XIV concept at the on-going 2012 Paris Motor Show. 

As the name suggests, the latest concept from Ssangyong will feature an electric drivetrain, which gives the concept its ‘e’ prefix and the ‘XIV’ stands for ‘eXciting user Interface Vehicle’ and features a unique smartphone powered interface for the cabin controls.

The innovative plug-in hybrid powertrain of the e-XIV uses a little as 1.9-litres of fuel per 100km over the combined cycle, while employing a 16kWh lithium ion battery to drive an 80kW electric motor that enables the concept a pure-electric range of approximately 80km.

As the battery discharges, a 1.0-litre two-cylinder petrol engine kicks in to spin a 20kW generator to top it up, giving the e-XIV a total range of up to 600km.

A fully depleted battery takes four hours to recharge from a standard wall socket or just 20 minutes using a fast charger.

Aiding the sleek Ssangyong’s efficiency is a roof-mounted solar panel, which converts energy from the sun to electricity to power the car’s air conditioning, audio and lighting systems.

On the inside, the cabin looks equally futuristic, sporting an array of touchscreens and graphic displays, and an attractive mix of colours and materials ranging from plastic and leather to high-class metals and lightweight carbonfibre.

Ssangyong has not reveled any plans of turning the e-XIV concept into a full scale production model yet. But we can surely expect the deisgn and technology showcased in the concept to influence some of the future vehicles rolling out from the South Korean automaker's plant.