The race started on January 6 in the Peruvian city of Lima, with the finish scheduled for January 20, 2018, in Cordoba, Argentina. The competition includes 14 stages, the total length of the route over rough terrain exceeds 9,000 kilometers, and about 500 crews will take part. For this marathon, SsangYong prepared a special rally modification of the Tivoli DKR model. Behind the wheel will be 42-year-old Spaniard Oscar Fuentes, for whom this Dakar will be his debut. In 2017, he won the Baja Aragon and leads the standings of the national rally-raid championship. Fuentes competes with the support of the factory SsangYong Motorsport program and hopes to contend for the title of best rookie of the South American marathon. Along with the driver, a technical support truck and eight mechanics went to the race.
In 2018, the Dakar rally celebrates its 40th anniversary, as well as the tenth anniversary of its holding in Latin America. The organizers promise that this edition will be the toughest in the history of the competition, as half of the route will pass through sand dunes and desert areas.
The rally SsangYong Tivoli DKR is equipped with a V8 power unit that produces 405 horsepower and a torque of 550 Nm at 4,200 rpm. The engine is located in the rear of the body in the center, which allows achieving optimal weight distribution between the front and rear axles. The curb weight of the racing version exceeds two tons, but this does not prevent the car from accelerating to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, and the maximum speed reaches 193 km/h.
SsangYong first took part in the Dakar in 1994. Then the Korando model became the first car of the Korean brand to reach the finish — the crew took eighth place in the overall standings. Subsequently, the Musso and Kyron SUVs also started in the rally and finished in the top ten three years in a row.
SsangYong Motor President Choi Yong-sik stated: "After a nine-year break, participation in the Dakar rally will be a great opportunity to once again announce the SsangYong brand and our advanced technologies. We will continue to strengthen our reputation as a global expert in SUVs and expand our presence in the global market through active marketing campaigns and participation in the world's largest automotive events."
More information about SsangYong cars can be found on the website www.sy.com.ua or by calling the information line of the AIS Group of Companies: 0-800-500-205 (calls from landline phones in Ukraine are free).
