The SsangYong Korando makes its appearance ahead of its presentation at the Geneva Motor Show

Little by little we are adding news to the Geneva Motor Show, and the latest attendee to confirm that we will see at its stand is SsangYong. The Korean brand’s main task is the presentation of the new Korando, of which they have provided us with the first images and official data, although we will have to wait for its presentation to get to know it in greater depth.

As we have already told you, SsangYong went through a lot of work last year introducing its various models to the new design language, lines that we have already seen carried over to the brand’s latest presentations such as the Rexton or, more recently, its star model, the Rodius. Now it is the turn of the Korando, which substantially changes its image, taking the new Rexton as its reference.

But it is not only the Rexton that has influenced the renewed image of the Korando; the last two prototypes that SsangYong has presented, also at the Geneva Motor Show, have also played a big part. These are the SIV-2 Concept and the e-SIV Concept. In this way we find a new design which, at the front, seems to have grown wider thanks to the horizontal-line design, also incorporating a new light cluster that gives it a more elegant and better integrated look with the whole, as well as modifying the design of the fog lights located at the ends of the bumper.

Looking at the sides, the changes continue too, abandoning the distinctive rounded roofline that ended at the rear window of the current model, to follow flatter lines in keeping with the design given to the front. At the rear, the changes are also major, but now the Korando looks wider and more streamlined, partly thanks to a new two-piece light cluster joined by a wide chrome strip that crosses the tailgate, the latter now more vertical and with a small light cluster at its end housing the indicators, reversing lights and fog lights; while the exhaust outlets are now placed in a more central position and covered by a chrome trim that acts as a lower protector.

Now entering the interior, we will see that the leap in quality applied to the SsangYong Korando is truly impressive, and although it is always better to see it with our own eyes, it does seem that hard plastics are now a thing of the past and the Blaze Cockpit design language has had its effect. The dashboard is now dominated by a digital instrument cluster of 9 inches, while in the central area a 10.25-inch touchscreen has been installed for the infotainment system. SsangYong also says the new Korando will have a boot with a capacity of 551 litres, which will guarantee us enough space to store our belongings.

In terms of equipment, the SsangYong Korando will incorporate the latest safety innovations, so its equipment will include systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Emergency Brake Assist, Lane Keeping Assist or Driver Attention Alert, among others. Naturally, as its launch date approaches we will know which ones come as standard and which will be offered as extras.

Mechanically, for the time being we do not know what SsangYong has in store for Europe, but we do know that in Korea the new Korando will be offered with a new 1,600 cc turbodiesel engine, similar to the one also fitted to the Tivoli, although the Korando’s specifications are expected to be superior to the 115 CV that the aforementioned model delivers.

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