KOREAN maker SsangYong is set to move upmarket with a new, advanced off-roader, codenamed the Y400.

Details are sparse, but these teaser images reveal a much more stylish approach than before and the technical aspects of the design sound impressive.

The Quad-Frame body structure uses 1.5Gpa giga-steel - a world first, says the company - and its construction also features 63 per cent advanced high strength steel to create greatly improved body strength while reducing weight.

It's about the same size as a Land Rover Discovery and its smart SUV styling is not a million miles removed from SsangYong's LIV-2 concept which was shown at the Paris motor show in September last year. It will be powered by both petrol and new, clean-burning diesel engines.

It will be launched at the forthcoming Seoul motor show in the company's South Korean homeland and is expected to go on sale there during the first half of this year, with international sales slated to begin before the end of 2017.