CAN-DO ATTITUDE
SsangYong has rebranded as KGM, but do the old favourites hold up?
This Korando Limited is the first car we’ve had on test that’s badged as a KGM — the new name for the Korean maker formerly known as SsangYong. Ironically, this particular vehicle is also serving as a showcase for a range of accessories including a bonnet protector and monsoon shields . . . all of which are clearly labelled “SsangYong”. Brand transitions never run completely smooth.
We can probably forgive the Korando, because unlike the new Torres SUV it’s one of the KGM/ SsangYong old guard. The Korando has had many lives, starting out as a Jeep Wrangler copy in the 1980s and eventually morphing into a crossover SUV. The name means “Korea can do”, by the way. Seriously.
This fourth-generation model has been around since 2019 with fairly minimal changes, so it’s far from the latest thing in what’s a hotly contested small-medium SUV segment.
A quick flick back to our first review of this generation Korando in 2020 reminds that we liked the energetic 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and comprehensive safety equipment, weren’t so sure about the sluggish transmission and lowspeed ride on the Limited’s 18-inch wheels, and approved of the spacious interior and cargo bay.
All of the above is still true, except that most rivals have since moved on quite a bit, so the Korando is looking and feeling a bit dated, despite some enduring qualities. The diesel engine/AWD option has gone and the Limited
2WD model (the one we tested back then and again now) has risen a whopping $10k to $45,990. Think of it as a rival to the Corolla Cross Limited FWD at a Corolla Cross GXL price and it might make more sense, but it’s still not cheap when you can buy a Kia Seltos Limited FWD for $44k. Corolla Cross and Seltos also give you a good idea of where the Korando sits sizewise.
It’s conservative outside and in, but you wouldn’t call it dull. It’s certainly a lot more modern feeling and better built than the brand’s smaller Tivoli SUV, with consistent fit and finish and lots of piano black and chromey looking stuff in the cabin.
The modest 9.0-inch infotainment screen is a bit of a let-down, but carries Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via a USB-A cable. It also plays a strange violin-type riff when you start up or shut down, which is quite weird. Interesting, but weird.
The Korando Limited is $5k more expensive than the standard model (same powertrain), and while it makes more sense as a $40k car, you do get some very worthwhile additions with the topspec version. The entry Korando has a good safety package including lane-keep, but the Limited ups the ante significantly with an extra lane departure feature, safety distance alert and driver’s knee airbag. It also adds climate air-con, roof rails, tinted windows, larger wheels, auto hold/ hill-start and adaptive cruise control — that last thing is very welcome as previous KGMs we’ve tested this year (Tivoli, Rexton, Rhino) haven’t had it.
The adaptive cruise is pretty basic, though. Once you set the target speed, the car is painfully slow to adjust and the readout is absolutely tiny, located at the bottom of the instrument panel. But once locked in, it does the job.
The small-capacity turbo engine is smooth in city running and quite lively, although it gets a bit breathless at higher speed. The sluggish transmission is part of the problem here: it seems to really strain under load and tumbles from gear to gear at times. It’s much happier pootling about town.
There’s not a lot wrong with the way the Korando goes around corners. The lumpy low-speed becomes plain unsettled on some backroads, and coarse chip produces a lot of road noise, but the steering is good and the chassis really solid in the way it tracks around turns. It feels confident.
No lavish leather for the Limited, but we rather like the soft grey “woven cloth” fabric upholstery; combine that with decently supportive seats up front and you have a good driving platform.
Korando is genuinely spacious inside and the boot load-through is particularly good. The rear seatbacks fold almost flat, which is a rarity for whatever reason these days; it’s really practical.
If the price started with a “3” we’d have no hesitation recommending Korando as a budget-but-good-quality alternative to more mainstream Korean and Japanese SUVs. At $45k it will have to work that much harder to win customers, but it remains a solid effort. And it’s certainly something a little different.