JT Hughes adds SsangYong in Shrewsbury

JT Hughes has taken on SsangYong with a new dealership in Shrewsbury.

This addition to the franchise will become the first dealership for the Korean brand in Shropshire

JT Hughes has three multi-franchise showrooms in  Shrewsbury, Telford and Newton, representing Kia, Hyundai, Honda and Isuzu, as well as specialist 4x4 brand INEOS Grenadier.

The partnership will see the opening of a brand-new SsangYong dealership in Shrewsbury, with a purpose-built showroom located at Unit 1 Civic Park, Vanguard Way, Battlefield Enterprise Park.

In addition, there is a full JT Hughes SsangYong aftersales centre less than a mile away from the showroom, offering servicing, MOT, repairs, and approved parts.

The JT Hughes group celebrated 50 years of trading last year and John Hughes, group managing director, said: “The partnership with SsangYong is an exciting new chapter in the dealership's expansion plans.

“With this new dealership, we'll be able to offer our customers even more choice when it comes to pick-ups, SUVs and 4x4s and we're confident that SsangYong's line-up of vehicles will be a fantastic addition to our existing brands.”

SsangYong has been consistently expanding its dealer network representation and JT Hughes follows on from Trenton Group adding the brand this month too.

SsangYong is a brand in transition as it looks to focus on electric vehicles (EV).

KG, SsangYong's Korean parent-company, recently confirmed SsangYong will be changing its name to KG Mobility after it acquired the brand for £620 million in August last year.

A spokesperson for KG Mobility said: “We have changed our name after 35-years and have taken the first step towards change and development into a future mobility company.

In the UK, SsangYong Motor UK hailed its 2021 return to profitability, after seven years of losses, as a “major milestone”.

During the period, in which the business added 21 new retail partners, the UK operation, run by Gibraltar-based distributor Bassadone Automotive Group, delivered a 18.6% rise in turnover to £44.2 million and turned around a £4.7m pre-tax loss in 2020 to deliver a £506,000 profit.

Last year also saw the launch of the brand’s first zero-emissions vehicle, the Korando e-Motion SUV.