GO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW
4x4 brand sticks to its roots while making serious progress with its latest model, writes Matt Allan
Ssangyong’s history lies in building Jeep-based 4x4s under licence for the military way back in the 1950s and it’s a heritage the brand hangs on to.
While other car makers try to fill every gap from city car to luxury SUV, the small Korean manufacturer has stuck to what it knows, with a focus on rugged, inexpensive 4x4s and SUVS.
The Korando was its first SUV, launched in 1983 and has been a permanent feature of the range ever since. After eight years of service the third generation has been retired to make way for this fourth generation and, as with other recent Ssangyongs, the difference is staggering.
Everything from its looks, design and interior layout to the materials, comfort and quality are light years removed from the ugly, rough and ready last-gen car. That isn’t to say it’s class-leading in these areas - this is a tough
segment where it’s up against everything from the Seat Ateca and Nissan Qashqai to the VW T-roc and Peugeot 3008 - but in every aspect it is at least able to compete, helped by a relatively low price and generous equipment.
Every Korando gets cruise control, auto lights and wipers, keyless entry and a suite of driver aids including auto dipping headlights; autonomous emergency braking system; lane keeping assist, traffic sign recognition and driver attention alert. Starting at £19,995 it just undercuts the perennial best-selling Qashqai. At the other end of the range, the tested £31,995 Ultimate is around £4,000 cheaper than a similarly equipped Qashqai or £2,500 less than a Seat Ateca and features leather seats (heated and ventilated in the front and heated in the rear); dual-zone air conditioning; a nine-inch navigation/media screen with Apple Carplay/ Android Auto; 10.25-inch configurable digital instrument cluster, automatic LED headlights; a power tailgate, plus an automatic transmission and four-wheel-drive mated to the diesel engine. For dayto-day driving you’ll want for little more.
The presence of four-wheeldrive in a segment where most buyers ignore it is a reflection partly of the brand’s history and partly of its established customer base, who want an affordable machine with some off-road ability. Many also want it to be able to tow a caravan or horsebox, hence it being engineered to offer a towing capacity of up to two tonnes.
On the road the focus on maintaining some ruggedness is clear as it leans and wobbles more than some of its contemporaries but the ride strikes a reasonable balance for comfort. Ssangyong claims class-leading refinement and it’s certainly quiet enough, with little intrusion from wind or tyre noise.
What the cabin isn’t isolated from is the noise of the diesel engine. The 1.6-litre fourcylinder isn’t the quietest, smoothest or quickest on the market. With 134bhp it offers economy of up to 48.7mpg and, with the automatic gearbox, gives the Korando its impressive towing capacity but it lets it down among some tough competition.
Added to the range for 2020 is a 1.5-litre turbo petrol which is far more pleasant. It’s smoother and quieter than the diesel and in a market that’s abandoning diesel it is expected to account for threequarters of Korando sales.
It loses out to the diesel in the economy and torque stakes but in every other way the 161bhp petrol unit feels like the better choice, especially when matched to the sixspeed automatic transmission.
Unlike its big brother the Rexton, which competes in a fairly small segment, the Korando has it tough. While it’s a vast improvement over the old model it still struggles to match the best of its rivals in outright quality or driving experience. Where it fights back is in value, space and the promise of rugged performance for buyers looking to tow or regularly head off-road.