SsangYong Korando

A CAN-DO KOREAN BARGAIN THAT’S UNDESERVEDLY OVERLOOKED

From $26,990 (driveaway)

TWO MEDIUM-SIZED SUVs were unveiled within a few months of each other in 2019, representing a substantial leap forward over their underwhelming respective predecessors. One was the fifthgeneration Toyota RAV4, which has since become Australia’s sales darling, and the other was the fourth iteration of the SsangYong Korando. Say what?

While there are parallels in size and packaging – expansive cabins, deep glass areas, comfy seating, quality dashboard presentations, family-friendly practicality and generous luggage capacities – they diverge in two key areas. The first is pricing, with the base RAV4 GX costing about $10,000 more than its Korando EX equivalent, and the second is popularity. Last year, the former shifted 38,537 units, the latter just 252.

Now, we’re not suggesting the RAV4 isn’t worthy, but the Korando deserves more love. After all, it boasts a two-year longer warranty, stronger turbo-enhanced performance and that huge price gap compared to the Japanese SUV.

A patchy history hasn’t helped. The product of a company with 67 years’ experience in automotive manufacturing, the Korando – a portmanteau of Korea Can Do, and that country’s longest-running nameplate – started off adorning a Jeep-based off-roader in 1983. That never came here, but its Musso 4x4-derived three-door successor did, though only for one year (1998), then briefly returned in 2004-2006 before vanishing again, until a proper carbased RAV4 rival arrived five years later.

In this timeframe, SsangYong ownership has been passed around like political accountability, with Daewoo, SAIC and now Mahindra controlling the company. No wonder Aussies can’t keep up.

So, with all this history, has the Korando evolved to be good enough against the RAV4? Not quite, but the gap is narrower than the pricing chasm suggests. For starters, there’s the 120kW/280Nm 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four, driving the front wheels via a six-speed torque-converter auto. Ready and willing, it pulls hard, changes gear swiftly and without lag, and is commendably refined. Remember, at this price point, the SsangYong is usually up against wailing 2.0-litre atmos.

Note that premium unleaded petrol is required, although it is also fine to run 94 RON E10. The front tyres can get overwhelmed on greasy roads, resulting in some scrappy progress. And the steering,

while light and positive at lower speeds, feels numb, while the handling becomes floaty in fast corners – just where the RAV4 shines. A bit of Aussie road tuning wouldn’t go astray.

Korando claws back lost ground with standard AEB, lanedeparture warning and assist, rear sensors, auto high-beams, auto headlights and wipers, 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rear camera and seven-year warranty. And for just $2K extra, the mid-spec ELX adds rear cross-traffic alert, blindspot warning, a fancier digital dash, front sensors, keyless entry/ start with walk-away locking, auto-folding mirrors and 18-inch alloys. That’s the SsangYong’s sweet spot.

Adaptive cruise is only available on the $37K-driveaway Ultimate, while none yet offer a digital radio, spare wheel (just a tyre-repair kit) or rear air vents, though the back seat is boosted by reclining backrests, lofty cushions and tons of room. There’s some road-noise intrusion, probably because a cargo floor and luggage cover are $500 options, bizarrely.

Dreary high-speed handling and some equipment anomalies aside, the handsome, practical, sprightly, spacious, comfy, charming and cultivated Korando comes remarkably close to being a very good thing. It was one of last year’s more unexpected developments, and worthy of the bargain-basement RAV4 title. VERDICT: One of the better price-driven SUV buys, the Korando deserves way more recognition. If it wore a Kia badge it would likely fly out of showrooms…