SsangYong to unleash new DKR for Dakar

SSANGYONG has unveiled the Rexton DKR to compete in next year’s Dakar Rally, the world’s toughest race, following the brand’s successful campaigning of a Tivoli-inspired car in the 2018 event.

Developed by SsangYong Motorsport in Spain, the new DKR uses a dune buggy body style with the design features of the new Rexton SUV. The car is built to be strong, fast and light to overcome the different challenges posed by the 11-day race, which starts in Peru on January 6 and finishes in Lima.

In the 40th Dakar Rally and the 10th since moving to Latin America, competitors will race over 5000 kilometers, 70 per cent of which is across dunes and sand. The DKR is rear wheel driven and will compete in the T1-3 class (two-wheel drive petrol vehicles). It is powered by a 450hp V8 race engine and with a kerb weight of less than 1900 kg, accelerates from zero to 62mph in 4.4 seconds, with a maximum speed of 122mph.

There is an all-new sequential-manual 6-speed Sadev SL90-23 gearbox, tri-disc ceramic clutch that will take up to 1,500Nm of torque, and a Torsen self-locking differential unit with a high lock capacity under acceleration.

The car will be driven by Spanish driver Óscar Fuertes with Diego Vallejo as co-driver, the team that competed successfully in last year’s Dakar Rally in a rally car based on the SsangYong Tivoli.