PYEONGTAEK, Gyeonggi Province -- About 400 Rexton W -- midsize sport utility vehicle of Ssangyong Motor -- lined up for shipment Monday to Peru’s capital at a pier of Pyeongtaek Port, Gyeonggi Province. 

The shipments to Lima were on account of a supply deal for police cars that the governments of both countries signed in December 2015. In Korea, the state-run trade and investment promotion agency KOTRA and POSCO Daewoo, the trading arm of POSCO Group proceeded with the deal.

“In the second-phase of global bidding, launched by the National Police of Peru, gasoline-powered 3.2-liter Rexton W, equipped with a four-wheel drive, won the bid by gaining the highest score in areas such as durability and safety,’’ said Song Young-han, executive director and head of domestic and export headquarters at Ssangyong Motor.

As the winner in the first-phase bid, Hyundai Motor supplied 800 units of Santa Fe SUV-based police cars to the Peruvian Police in 2013, but the largest Korean automaker failed to win the second-phase deal.

The size of the second-phase bid was three times bigger. As the sole supplier, Ssangyong will deliver a total of 2,108 patrol cars by September this year following the first shipment.

According to the Korean branch of India’s auto giant Mahindra & Mahindra, it is the firm’s single largest supply deal for a foreign government unit. 

“In a road test, the Peruvian police expressed their satisfaction with the capability of Ssangyong’s off-roader durable to the mountainous regions of Peru and advanced GPS and other communications equipment,’’ Song said.

The Korean automaker raised hope that its foothold in Peru will help the company build credibility among potential SUV buyers in the Central American region.

The company said it will maximize the effect of its deal with the Peruvian government by tapping the other overseas markets for “special purpose’’ vehicles. 

“The company is eyeing the growing demand for pick-up trucks and capable off-roaders in the Middle East region and Europe,’’ Song said.

Ssangyong’s Korando Sports is the sole Korean pick-up vehicle in the domestic market.

The carmaker has long track record in supplying to the public sector. It has supplied special purpose cars to Korean and U.S. armies and public companies like Korea Electric Power Corp. since 1994 when it delivered its midsize Musso SUV to state-run Korea Expressway Corp. for highway patrol cars.



By Seo Jee-yeon (jyseo@healdcorp.com)