Ssangyong will race the 2018 Dakar in the new Tivoli DKR

Ssangyong has been eagerly preparing to take on the 2018 Dakar successfully, and to do so it has developed a completely new vehicle. The Tivoli DKR has been under development for a long time, and the Ssangyong team has fine-tuned it to face one of the toughest championships in the world.

The Tivoli Rally Raid 4WD already won the European Dakar Challenge, which earned them one of the three entries that the organisation offers worldwide. This helped the Ssangyong team decide to take part in the 2018 Dakar. The new competition vehicle features all the latest innovations to secure victory for the Korean brand.

The Ssangyong team has 67 days to get everything ready for the Dakar. The Tivoli DKR has been undergoing tests and runs covering different distances for months, so that the vehicle can be adjusted and improved as much as possible before the race.

To ensure optimal tuning during the Dakar, Ssangyong has a support truck and eight specialist mechanics who will solve any problem the Tivoli DKR might have. A new group of sponsors is taking part from another angle, placing all their trust in the Ssangyong team.

This year, the Dakar celebrates forty years worldwide and ten years in Latin America. The race will take place in Lima, Peru. On January 6th the 2018 Dakar will start, moving from Peru through Bolivia and Argentina, with the latter country hosting the finish in the city of Córdoba. The route comprises more than 5,000 kilometres of special stages and 4,000 kilometres of liaison sections.

In this edition of the Dakar, the vehicles will once again cross the Pacific Ocean, specifically the dunes of Peru. It consists of seven off-road stages that will pose a tough challenge for the competing vehicles. Ssangyong has been preparing the Tivoli DKR for this task and is likely ready to face the harsh terrain of South America.

“This is not just another race; it is a great worldwide opportunity to show what the SsangYong Motorsport team is capable of.” says Oscar Fuentes, driver of the Tivoli DKR.

The driver in charge of the Tivoli DKR will be Oscar Fuentes, a young and experienced driver with numerous victories in the Spanish Off-Road Rally Championship to his name. This will be the first time Fuentes races in the Dakar, but the Korean brand is betting on his driving skills. Only a few months remain before the championship begins, and Ssangyong is ready to take on the challenge.