YOU’VE got to admire SsangYong's determination and tenacity - for the Korean car firm is to give it yet another go at cracking the UK market.
Now with new owners – Indian engineering conglomerate Mahindra and Mahindra recently bought a 70 per cent stake in the company – lots have been happening at SsangYong, including the introduction of the brand new Korando crossover model, styled by Italian design house Giugiaro.
That was the company responsible for a host of fabulous auto creations such as the Mk 1 Golf, the DeLorean DMC-12 gull-wing, Lotus Esprit, Lamborghini Cala, Ferrari 250 GT Bertone, Maserati 4200 Spider and the Bugatti EB 118 and 218.
Giugiaro knows its business and has certainly come up with a neat, yet muscular-looking package for the Korando which will not look the least bit out of place in the car park of any major UK agricultural show.
While SsangYong's old seven-seater Rexton SUV and Rodius people carrier both return to these shores– albiet both heavily revised – it is the stylish and versatile Korando crossover, which is priced from £16,995 in front-wheel-drive guise, that will spearhead the company’s hoped-for resurgence through its 52 dealer-strong network.
Available in three trim levels, two or four-wheel-drive with the choice of manual or automatic gearbox, all are powered by a gutsy Euro 5, 172bhp, two-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel engine, producing plenty of torque.
Fuel consumption varies between 37.7mpg and 44.4mpg while CO2 emissions range from 157g/km to 199g/km.
“The Korando is a great value proposition, keenly priced, with a comprehensive list of standard equipment, market leading five-year limitless mileage warranty, excellent towing capability and with its long whelbase, a spacious and airy interior.”
Not my words, but those of Paul Williams, the boss of SsangYong’s UK importers.
Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he. But to be fair, he’s absolutely spot on, for the Korando really does what it says on the tin and would make an excellent choice for those looking for a competitively-priced motor but who also need something substantial to tow a caravan, horsebox or trailer.
Driving off on my first outing with the Korando, a range-topping ES trim all-wheel-drive version, there were no nasty shocks. Smooth, powerful with great all-round vision, the car performed as well as a much more expensive competitor.
The grip was fine, the ride remarkably refined and the in-house produced engine hushed and quiet compared with the old Mercedes-Benz power trains that the Korean marque currently depend on for their Rexton and Rodius.
At a fiver short of £23,000, it seemed a bargain, with its leather upholstery, silky smooth automatic gearbox which gave seamless changes, electric driver’s seat, six-speaker Kenwood MP3 CD and RDS radio with iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, electric windows, windscreen de-icer, sunroof, rear parking sensors, cruise control, heated electrically-adjustable door mirrors, heated seats and privacy glass.
Safety features include front, side and curtain airbags, electronic stability programme with rollover protection, active head restraints, ABS, hill-start assist, fog lamps, Isofix seat anchorage and alarm and immobiliser.
However, you would think there had to be some sort of catch in order to produce a fully-loaded SUV for the Korando’s sort of money.
Well, not really. It’s true that the interior trim and plastics have room for improvement, but they in no way let the SsangYong down in any way at all.
Yet to produce a more-than-worthy addition to the competitive SUV sector and omit to give it something as rudimentary as a spare wheel seems more than a bit daft and penny-pinching to me.
For a vehicle that’s capable of serious stuff on Tarmac, over fields and on farm and forest tracks, you would think that a spare - rather than a tyre repair kit - would be something of a must have, especially when there was a jack tucked away in the tool kit beneath the boot floor.
However, that won’t deter anyone in the market for a new crossover from taking a serious look at the Korando.
With this new model at the forefront it could well be third time lucky for the Korean marque. It really does deserve a bit of success, if only for trying again, again and yet again.