The SsangYong Rodius is renewed to fit in with the rest of the Korean range

The MPV segment now seems to have been pushed into the background by the rise of SUVs, a segment whose growth shows no sign of ending, yet several brands still keep these family vehicles in their line-ups, among them SsangYong with the Rodius. Not surprisingly, the Rodius is the brand’s star model in Spain, with more than 19,000 units sold.

The SsangYong Rodius has been on our roads since 2004, with the arrival of a first generation that stayed on the market for no less than nine years with only minor tweaks. Then, in 2013, the second generation reached our country, with numerous substantial changes in design, now much more elegant and refined, and which, after five years, is about to be renewed again. However, this is not a new generation, but a restyle that will bring the Rodius into line with SsangYong’s new design philosophy, making it resemble its latest models.

The most significant changes to the new SsangYong Rodius are found on the exterior, more specifically at the front, which now follows the design line of the rest of the range. The bumper has been completely changed to house new air intakes and the new fog lights, now rectangular in shape, as well as the new grille with softer lines that give the impression of being wider. On either side of it is the redesigned light cluster, which also incorporates LED daytime running lights in its upper part.

It is from the side view that we can best appreciate the new bonnet, with more streamlined lines and an opening that extends to the side fenders. Beyond that, and aside from a new wheel design that will presumably remain 16 or 17 inches, the rest of the new SsangYong Rodius remains unchanged from the outgoing model.

Inside, it’s more of the same: the Korean brand has simply worked on reshaping the exterior front end, more or less extensively, keeping the rest of the vehicle exactly the same. The Rodius will therefore continue to be characterised by its 2+2+3 seat layout, offering its occupants a spacious cabin and generous interior capacity, as demonstrated by 875 litres of capacity even with the third row of seats available, a capacity that can be increased up to 1,975 litres if all the seats are folded down.

Mechanically, the SsangYong Rodius also receives no improvements, so its engine line-up remains in charge of the 2,200 cc turbo diesel engine delivering 178 CV of power and 400 Nm of torque, which can be paired with a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed automatic. If you choose the automatic gearbox, drive goes to all four wheels, whereas with the manual gearbox the drive is rear-wheel.

The new SsangYong Rodius is already available in our country, priced from 26,100 euros for the Line trim, 28,600 euros for the Premium trim and 32,600 euros for the Limited trim. If you opt for the automatic gearbox, the starting price rises to 31,400 euros, while adding 4×4 traction takes the starting price up to 36,450 euros. In addition, large families will get a discount of 500 euros, although this discount also applies to the SsangYong Rexton and XLV.