SsangYong Korando 2019 Review

If you've never heard of the SsangYong Korando, don't worry, you may not be alone.

But believe it or not, this so-called Korando "C300" is the company's fifth-generation version of the midsize crossover - and while it may not be a household name here, it used to be the best-selling brand in Australia. 

SsangYong Korando will compete with big-name Korean rivals and models such as Nissan Qashqai and Mazda CX-5.

This was before the company left Australia, but now it's back with a new purpose, a new product, and under the control of SsangYong's headquarters in Korea rather than a local distributor. It can be said that this time around, the brand is really aiming to make things work.

As such, we dare not miss the opportunity to ride the all-new Korando in Korea ahead of its Australian launch in late 2019. Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson - not to mention models such as the Nissan Qashqai and Mazda CX-5. So yes, this is a vital vehicle for the brand. 

Let's dive in and see how it stacks up.

Ssangyong Korando 2019: Ultimate LE
Safety Rating
engine's type	1.6 L turbo
fuel type	Diesel
Fuel efficiency	6.4l / 100km
Landing	5 Places
Price from	$27,700

Is there anything interesting about its design? 8/10

The appearance of the new generation Korando is very different from its predecessor, resulting in it looking wider and much more solid on the road.

Like the previous version, the front is beautiful, and the profile does not look so bad. The wheels go up to 19 inches in size which helps with that! There are LED daytime running lights and LED taillights, and LED headlights will be fitted to full models (halogen projectors on models below).

But the back design is a little frilly. SsangYong insists on putting those hips on their cars for some reason, and the tailgate and rear bumper are somewhat exaggerated. But it hides a good-sized trunk - more on that below.

As for the interior design, it's pretty flashy for a challenger brand with some pretty eye-catching styling cues and a high-tech all-digital instrument cluster. Look at the photos of the salon to see for yourself.

How practical is the interior space? 9/10

SsangYong says the Korando is "designed for young families looking for an active lifestyle and will appeal to those who want a car that can handle the rigors of family life, with sector-leading interior space for growing children and a large boot." for all their equipment for leisure and daily needs.

Judging by this statement, this machine is huge. But it's fairly compact at 4450mm long (with a 2675mm wheelbase), 1870mm wide and 1620mm high - and makes the most of the space on offer.

SsangYong is almost like Skoda in that it manages to pack a lot into a small package. It's a car that's smaller than the Mazda CX-5 and close enough to the same size as the Nissan Qashqai, but with a claimed boot volume of 551 liters (VDA), it's overweight. The CX-5 has 442 hp and the Qashqai has 430 hp. The rear seats can be folded down to free up 1248 liters of luggage space.

And the brand claims the Korando has "better headroom and rear seat space" than its closest rivals, and for someone my height - six feet tall or 182cm - it's more than comfortable, with easily ample second-row space. For two adults. my size, and even three if you need it. 

If you have teenage kids but live somewhere where a big SUV might not fit, the Korando might be a great option for you. Or if you have small children, because there are two ISOFIX child seat attachment points and three Top Tether attachment points.

There are no rear seat vents, but high-spec models will have heated rear seats, heated and cooled front seats, and dual-zone air conditioning. 

SsangYong claims the Korando has "better headroom and rear seat space" than its closest rivals.

As for the "feel" of space, this is SsangYong's best attempt so far. You can tell the brand has taken inspiration from Audi and Volvo, and while it may not end up being as chic in terms of materials used or as refined and elegant as some of the well-known competitors in the midsize SUV class. , it has some really cool elements, like the Infinity Mood lighting in the so-called "Blaze" cockpit - watch the video to see these XNUMXD lighting elements in action. 

The 10.25-inch digital driver display looks like it was ripped straight out of a Peugeot 3008, which is a good thing - it's crisp and easy to use, and it also has some nice illustrative effects.

Media will be in the form of an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and sat-nav will not be offered on either model. The brand will offer it as an option, apparently more important to rural buyers than city dwellers, and it will mean moving to a 9.2-inch touchscreen (thankfully with a physical volume knob) with all the latest connectivity. .

If practicality is more important to you than looks, you'll be pleased to know that there are two cup holders up front (and two in the rear), as well as bottle holders in all four doors, and a good selection of storage compartments up front (drawers in the dashboard and between the seats) and back (map pockets).

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 8/10

We don't know exact pricing for the 2019 SsangYong Korando lineup just yet - the company hasn't announced what it plans to do in terms of features and equipment, but we'll release pricing and feature history when we can.

What we can tell you is that attractive equipment levels will be offered to customers, and - if the brand's other lineups are any kind of crystal ball - three Korando grades will likely be available: EX, ELX and Ultimate.

If we were to make a guess at this point in time, it's likely that a petrol FWD EX with a manual transmission would cost around $28,000, while a petrol EX FWD car could cost just over $30,000. The mid-range ELX is likely to hit the market for around $35,000 with a petrol/automatic/front-wheel drive powertrain. The top-end Ultimate will be diesel, automatic, and all-wheel drive, and it could top the $40,000 mark. 

That may seem like a lot, but remember - the equivalent Tucson, Sportage or CX-5 in top specs will set you back fifty grand. 

Entry-level models are expected to come with 17-inch wheels and cloth interior trim, while mid-range and upper-end models are expected to have larger wheels and leather trim. 

Entry-level models are expected to come with 17-inch wheels. Pictured are 19" wheels.

Higher-end models are expected to get the brand's best digital offering with this 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. An 8.0-inch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming will be standard.

The cars we tested had only one USB port and no Qi wireless charging for smartphones, but a rear outlet (230 volts) may be offered - we hope SsangYong will fit this with an AU plug as early examples Rexton came with a Korean socket!

The top-end diesel all-wheel-drive Ultimate is expected to come with a kitchen sink, as well as ambient lighting with multiple color options, as well as power driver's seat adjustment, heated and cooled front seats, and heated rear seats. The sunroof is probably in this class too, as is the power tailgate. The Ultimate will most likely ride on 19-inch wheels.

Higher-end models are expected to get the brand's best digital offering.

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 7/10

In Australia, there will be a choice of two different engines.

The first engine is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 120 kW (at 5500 rpm) and 280 Nm of torque (from 1500 to 4000 rpm). It will be offered with a six-speed manual or six-speed Aisin automatic transmission in the base model, while the mid-range model will be automatic only. In Australia, it will be sold exclusively with front-wheel drive.

Another option would be a 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine with a six-speed automatic, which would be sold exclusively as an all-wheel drive version in Australia. It produces 100 kW (at 4000 rpm) and 324 Nm (1500-2500 rpm).

These are reasonable numbers, but they are certainly not leaders in their class. There won't be a hybrid or plug-in hybrid version for several years, if at all. But the company has confirmed that an "all-electric" model of the electric car will be sold - and it will arrive in Australia, possibly as early as late 2020.

In Australia, there will be a choice of two different engines.

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How much fuel does it consume? 7/10

There is no official data on Korando's fuel consumption yet - be it gasoline or diesel. But both are Euro 6d compliant, which means they have to be competitive when it comes to consumption. 

However, the CO2 target for the manual petrol model (which will form the basis of the Australian range) is 154g/km, which should equate to around 6.6 liters per 100km. The FWD petrol car is expected to use slightly more. 

The manual transmission diesel FWD, which will not be sold here, is said to be rated at 130g/km (about 4.7L/100km). Expect a diesel four-wheel drive to consume around 5.5 l/100 km.

Note: The petrol version we receive may be Euro 6d compliant, which means it comes with a petrol particulate filter as part of its emissions strategy, but our cars will not get this due to low quality Australian fuel containing too a lot of sulfur. We have confirmed to SsangYong that our petrol models will meet Euro 5 standards.

What is it like to drive? 8/10

This is the best SsangYong I have ever driven.

That doesn't mean it's setting new benchmarks for midsize SUVs. But based on my test drive, which included a few laps of an empty race track and a bit of highway traffic in regional Korea, the new Korando proved to be both competent and comfortable.

It doesn't have the polish and outright enthusiasm that the Mazda CX-5 has, and there's an element of suspense about what the ride and handling will be like on Australian roads - because the suspension in the cars we've driven in Korea is likely to be different from what we get locally. 

There is a local melody (which, for that matter, was probably the best first try I've had in any Korean car I've driven prior to local tuning), but there will also be a European melody, which we assume. will be a little softer spring, but more hard damping. The latter we are most likely to get, but if that doesn't suit our unique circumstances, an Australian-specific tune will follow.

The new Korando proved to be competent and easy to drive.

Either way, based on these early signs, it's going to be pretty good to ride, as it handled bumps and potholes quite well, and the body never got frustrated when you quickly changed direction. There was little body roll, and from the driver's seat you can tell it's fairly light - the SsangYong managed to snatch nearly 150kg between the previous generation and this one.

The petrol engine proved to be a bit savory, with ample pulling power from a standstill and decent acceleration. It was mostly let down by the six-speed automatic, which insisted on upshifting in manual mode and struggled to keep up with the driver's demands on more spirited driving journeys. That may not matter to you - this is a midsize SUV, after all - and the automatic transmission's overall performance seemed pretty good during testing.

The diesel engine with all-wheel drive system was also impressive. This version would most likely be offered in the flagship version of the Korando in Australia, and it offered strong midrange pulling power, feeling better when you were already moving because you had to contend with a bit of lag at low speed, but it wasn't. really important.

We did notice some wind noise at 90 mph and above, and the diesel can sound a bit rough under hard acceleration, but overall the quality level of the new Korando is competitive, as is the overall driving experience.

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

7 years / unlimited mileage


guarantee

ANCAP Safety Rating

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 8/10

The new Korando has yet to be crash tested, but the company claims it will be "one of the safest vehicles in the segment" and has gone so far as to display a badge indicating the highest safety rating in presentations made to the media at launch. . Let's see what ANCAP and Euro NCAP say about this - we expect them to be tested later this year. 

Standard safety gear across the range includes Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) with Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist and High Beam Assist.

SsangYong claims the Korando will be "one of the safest vehicles in its segment."

In addition, high-end models will have blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and rear automatic braking. Here we are talking about a high level of protective equipment.

In addition, all models will come with a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, seven airbags (dual front, front side, full-length curtain and driver's knee) will be standard across the line. In addition, there are double ISOFIX anchorages and three top-tether child seat anchorages.

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 9/10

SsangYong backs all of its models with a compelling seven-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, in line with the best mainstream brand in Australia and Korea's Kia. 

There is also the same limited price service coverage, and customers can look forward to a reasonable price based on other models in the brand's lineup, which should be around $330 per year.

In addition, the price includes seven years of roadside assistance, provided that you service your car at authorized SsangYong dealers.

The only reason there's no 10/10 here is because it's only matched by the best available - it's a very compelling offering that could draw in a lot of potential customers across the lineup.

Verdict

There are still some questions about Korando's pricing and positioning in Australia - you'll have to keep an eye out for more information.

But after our first ride, we can say that the new generation model will go a long way in making the Korando a household name – and not just in Korea. 

Has SsangYong done enough to make you prefer the Korando to traditional Japanese SUVs? Let us know about it in the comments.