SsangYong Spain will compete in the upcoming 40th edition of the Dakar with the new SsangYong Tivoli DKR. Instead of the 2009 Dakar-Ssangyong Kyron and recents year´s competing Tivoli Rally Raid 4WD in the Spanish Rallyraid Championship, the new Tivoli is a 4x2 buggy, entirely built in Spain from a multitubular frame chassis with the cooperation od buggy-specialist Javier Herrador. Its 6.2-liter V8 engine develops 405 horsepower and 550 Nm maximum of torque, that will be good for 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and a maximum speed of 193 km/h.

The Spanish SsangYong Motorsport project is based on the crew of Óscar Fuertes and Diego Vallejo. Oscar Fuertes won the ticket to Dakar 2018 by winning the Baja Aragon in Teruel, Spain, with Tivoli Rally Raid 4WD in July, Diego Vallejo has completed two Dakar rallies until today. Fuertes has almost 25 years experience in the world of rallying, his copilot over 28 years. The team will be supported by a 6x6 assistance truck and two T5 assistance cars.

"The challenge at the Dakar rally after nine years will promote our brand and technologies to the world," said Ssangyong CEO Choi Johng-sik, addressing his company as a SUV specialist.

Ssangyong debuted at the Dakar rally in 1994 with the Korando Family, finishing eighth and completing the race for the first among Korean auto manufacturers. It continued the challenge in three subsequent rallies with Musso and Kyron, finishing in the top 10 in all events.

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