Ssangyong Korando 2014, presentation and test drive in Segovia

The Ssangyong Korando has been completely renewed in its fifth generation, offering an SUV with comprehensive equipment at a very competitive price. To get to know it better, we went to Segovia, where we were able to test the car, take it on a 4×4 route and learn all the details of the new generation.

If you want a well-equipped SUV from 16,450 euros and you like the design of the Korando, stay with us in this first contact and we will tell you everything about the car and our impressions at the wheel of the 149 CV diesel engine.

New design for an SUV made in Europe

The Korando is not manufactured in Europe, but its design was the work, in the fourth generation, of Giugiaro, and in this fifth generation the main features of that design are retained and updated to give it a much sportier look with more personality.

Goodbye to the rounded shapes, and a much more pronounced front end appears, with new bumpers, a new grille and new headlights that incorporate LED technology as standard (though not for the daytime running lights, but for the position lights).

The side profile changes little, except for the alloy wheels, which now have a new design. As standard it has 16-inch alloy wheels, which grow to 18 inches in the best-equipped versions.

At the rear there are small changes that update a fairly current design: the taillights now feature LED technology (as standard) and a renewed look. As you can see, the exterior changes focus mainly on the front, which is now much more distinctive and has more character.

Renewed interior, improved quality

The qualitative leap in the interior is considerable, the previous Korando relied heavily on hard plastics and its quality was barely adequate for a very competitive segment. But things have changed and the South Korean brand has really stepped up.

The first thing that changes is the design of the dashboard, which is now more modern and has lines in the European taste. New chrome trim and new materials such as wood appear; in addition, the entire upper part of the dashboard is soft-touch plastic and the quality is noticeable.

The instrumentation also changes: depending on the trim level (since the base versions still have the old instrumentation), there are now dials with LED illumination and an on-board computer providing multiple pieces of information about the car’s parameters.

The leap in quality is noticeable, although, being critical, there is still room for improvement; it sits at a level very similar to other competitors in the segment, except for one that was recently renewed and has improved its quality considerably.

What does not change is the space: the Korando is a spacious car. That spaciousness is especially noticeable in the rear seats, where there is plenty of legroom and headroom. In addition, the seatbacks can be adjusted as we wish.

The driving position is high, and the armrest is standard on every version of the Korando. There are also plenty of storage spaces for our things, from a phone to two cup holders for two small bottles (cup holders that could have a better grip).

Equipment, very complete from the base level

As standard, even within the base equipment level, it already includes a good arsenal of safety features, highlighting six airbags, stability control, rollover control, ABS with emergency braking assistance, hill start assist, tyre pressure monitoring and active head restraints, among other elements.

The petrol engine starts with the Line trim, which adds to all of the above 16-inch alloy wheels, CD-MP3 radio with Bluetooth and USB port, cruise control and air conditioning, among other elements. The other petrol trim is the Sport, which adds 17-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, a parking assistance system, among other elements.

The diesels have only two trims, Premium and Limited, associated with both the 149 CV engine and the 175 CV automatic. Standard equipment on a diesel Korando includes climate control, heated seats, specific LED instrumentation, navigation (TomTom with lifetime map updates), among other elements.

And the Limited adds leather, push-button start, electrically folding mirrors, an interior chrome pack, among other elements.

Engine range and first contact

The new Korando is available with three engines, one petrol and two diesel. The petrol is 149 CV and is also available with LPG from 20,300 euros in the Sport trim. Meanwhile, the diesel range consists of the two-litre turbo in two power variants: 149 CV and 175 CV, the latter paired with the six-speed automatic gearbox.

We had the opportunity to test the 149 CV D20T diesel with the manual gearbox. The car has very agile handling and, although the engine is quite noisy, good work has been done soundproofing the cabin.

At low revs it is not an engine with much power; it starts to come alive around 1,800 rpm, but after that it is more than sufficient for any situation, even to overtake with confidence. If we want more power, the 175 CV automatic version is an excellent choice, with a small difference in consumption compared with the 149 CV.

During the test, consumption hovered around 6.5 litres per 100 km, but of course these were units that had not been run in, so that figure may well come down, something we will check when we have the chance to test the car thoroughly.

What we liked most is that despite its height, it is a stable and agile car. That said, the tyres reduce the car’s effectiveness. We also had the chance to try the Korando’s full-time four-wheel drive on a muddy off-road route; the system lets us lock the distribution and is really effective.

On a route full of mud and with little grip, the car performed very well. It is a pity we did not have mixed-tread tyres, so although it traction was good, we could not test its true potential off the asphalt.

Prices (discounts included)

• Korando G20 4×2 Line 16,450 euros
• Korando G20 4×2 Sport 18,200 euros
• Korando D20T 149 CV 4×2 Premium 19,700 euros
• Korando D20T 149 CV 4×2 Limited 21,700 euros
• Korando D20T 175 CV Aut. 4×2 Premium 22,200 euros
• Korando D20T 175 CV Aut. 4×2 Limited 24,200 euros
• Korando D20T 149 CV 4×4 Premium 21,700 euros
• Korando D20T 175 CV Aut. 4×4 Limited 26,200 euros

In short, the Ssangyong Korando has been updated, gaining quality, with an engine range more than sufficient to compete in the segment, and with a lower price than the previous generation. Add to this the comprehensive equipment and the improved quality, and it is a very interesting alternative for anyone looking for a well-equipped SUV that is different from the ones that fill our roads.

Photos | Diego G. Moreira