SsangYong Kyron 270Xdi Limited 165CV, road test (part III)

We’ve reached the final part, where we’ll talk about the equipment the SsangYong Kyron comes with, both as standard and optional, after having seen its excellent off-road performance and its distinctive design.

One of the characteristics of the Korean brand, like many others, is the limited optional equipment it offers, due to the importation and coding of parts and models. It’s better to bring in a fully equipped car at a price and offer a couple of extras like metallic paint and little more. The 3 trim levels and the two engines along with the gearbox result in up to 9 different combinations, which is not bad at all.

Safety and standard equipment

As we mentioned in the previous model tested from the brand, SsangYong does not send its models to EuroNCAP for testing, so we cannot offer ratings to compare with other competitors.

It’s clear that with all brands’ trend towards SUVs, few competitors would come with selectable all-wheel drive and a low-range gearbox. One of them was the Kia Sorento, but we already said that in its facelift they had removed the low-range gearbox.

Even so, it is well stocked with safety features for its price and comes with 4 airbags as standard (it lacks side and knee airbags to complete the 7), ABS, ESP, EBD, roll bars and hill descent control. It also lacks hill start assist, and the xenon headlights cannot be fitted as an option; you have to make do with the traditional ones. The ESP, even if deactivated, will intervene if it needs to; it prefers to ignore the driver’s wishes rather than crash on a bend. That said, it warns you with a visual and audible signal that it isn’t obeying you.

In the Limited version, which is the one we tested, the only option offered is metallic paint for 400 euros. The on-board computer doesn’t exist, just a partial odometer, not even the average speed which the Rodius did show. That said, for 27,900 euros you get it as you see it. With a TomTom navigation system included.

The starting price of the model is 20,132 euros for the base equipment (16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, no leather seats or sunroof, among others) and the 200Xdi engine with manual gearbox (the automatic is a little over 2,000 euros more expensive). If we want the more powerful engine (like the one in the test) we can’t choose the base equipment, but must go for the Premium or Limited for the automatic, and only the Limited for the manual. The price of the Premium with automatic gearbox is 27,870 euros and of the Limited 30,200 euros, making it the most expensive in the range.

Overall assessment

As can be seen, the promotional prices are very low and with equipment that other brands would love to be able to offer at that price. We have to bear in mind that it is more of a useful car than one for showing off, and very few models on the market offer what this one does; and I’m talking about off-road driving.

Personally, I like automatic gearboxes more and more, for their quick shifting, their advanced dual-clutch technology in some brands and even their reliability, but in this particular case I would buy a manual. It allows much more control on mud and dirt tracks, as well as snow and slippery surfaces, and it is much more robust and reliable than the automatic, especially we are going to enjoy it much more. The automatic is slow, and if we think we’ll use the sequential mode, forget it; the sequential is not comfortable.

As for trims, we’ll always go for the best equipped, especially I consider leather essential, which makes the seats more pleasant, above all for long road trips, the car’s weak point in terms of comfort. With those and the heated seats we’ll finally find the pleasure we were looking for in another brand that was out of our reach.

It’s a car for having fun in mud and snow, for people who are going to use it, because that’s where they’ll get the most out of their purchase. I wouldn’t recommend it to a driver looking for a cheap SUV, mainly because it isn’t one.

Photos | Javi Vicente and Jorge Rubio