New Korando SUV riding high

SSANGYONG reappeared on the Irish market 18 months ago and have now upgraded the Korando: it’s revamped inside and out and the driving has been refined.

The new look is sportier at the front, with a tapered, black, mesh radiator grille, contemporary headlights and a wider, low-level air intake. The new headlight units now comprise projection lamps and LED daytime running lights, surrounded by a black and aluminium surround.

At the rear, the light cluster now includes LED lights for improved visibility and style. There are new designs for both the 16-inch and 17-inch wheels, and three new exterior colours.

The interior has also been upgraded, with soft-touch materials. Piano and wood-grain details enhance the interior ambience, while swirling curves and angular shapes give the dash and the door panels a distinctly modern feel.

The new Korando is powered by a well-proven, 2.0-litre, Euro 5 engine. This is the engine in the previous Korando, but benefits from NVH characteristics, which have improved noise reduction and refined the driving experience.

Stronger, reinforced mounting brackets in the engine reduce noise levels by up to 9.3%. The Korando is also fitted with Macpherson struts to the front, and multi-link suspension to the rear, providing excellent ride comfort, and the three-point mountings of the rear axle minimise noise and vibration. New rubber bushes have been fitted to the reinforced sub-frames, minimising vibration and noise from the road surface and engine.

The 149bhp, e-XDi200, 2.0-litre diesel engine delivers a flat torque curve of 360Nm, from 2,000rpm through to 3,000rpm. The car has a six-speed manual gearbox. All-wheel drive versions will arrive in Ireland later this month. With a ground clearance of 180mm, an approach angle of 22.8 degrees, a departure angle of 28.2 degrees, and a ramp angle of 18.5 degrees, the new Korando is also at home off-road.

Prices will start from €25,995, including VAT, for the AWD commercial model. In both 2WD and 4WD, the electronic stability program (ESP) with emergency brake assist and four-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS) are standard, as are hill-start assist (HSA) and active roll-over protection (ARP).

Ssangyong say the new Korando has the practicality of an SUV and the comfort of a saloon car.

In the rear, there’s sufficient room for three adults to travel in comfort.

Lift the tailgate and the car has one of the largest load areas in this SUV sector (486 litres with the seats up and 1,312 litres when folded). There’s also an under-floor tray for storing valuables.

The Korando ES (standard) retails at €25,995, while the EL (luxury) retails at €29,495.