FREEWHEELING scotland November, 2011
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Italian style is the way ahead for SsangYong
FreewheelingScotland.com — Driving the way forward
SsangYong YOU’VE GOT TO ADMIRE their determination and give credit for their tenacity, for Korean manufacturer SsangYong are to give it yet another go at cracking the UK market. Now under new owners – Indian engineering conglomerate Mahindra and Mahindra recently bought a 70 per cent stake in the company – great things have been happening at SsangYong, including the introduction of the brand new Korando crossover model, styled by Italian design house Giugiaro. They were the company responsible for a host of fabulous auto creations, such the Mk 1 VW Golf, DeLorean DMC-12 gull-wing, Lotus Esprit, Lamborghini Cala, Ferrari 250 GT Bertone, Maserati 4200 Spider and the Bugatti EB 218. They know their business and have certainly come up with a neat, yet muscular-looking package for the Korando which will not look the least bit out of place in the car park at any major UK agricultural show. While the old seven-seater Rexton SUV and Rodius people carrier models both return to these shores– albiet both heavily revised – it is the new stylish and versatile Korando crossover, which
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K orando
SsangYong K oran
is priced from £16,995 in front-wheeldrive guise, that will spearhead the company’s hoped-for resurgence through the already 52 dealer-strong network. Available in three trim levels, two or four-wheel-drive with the choice of manual or automatic gearbox, all are powered by a gutsy Euro 5, 172bhp, two-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel engine, producing 360Nm of torque. Fuel consumption varies between 37.7mpg and 44.4mpg while emissions range from 157g/km to 199g/km.
“Korando is a great value keenly priced, with a com of standard equipment, m five-year limitless mileage excellent towing capabilit long whelbase, a spaciou interior.” Not my words, but those Williams, the boss of Ssa importers. Well, he would
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e proposition, mprehensive list market leading e warranty, ty and with its us and airy
e of Paul angYong’s UK d say that,
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SsangYong K orando wouldn’t he. But to be fair, he’s absolutely spot on, for the Korando really does what it says on the tin and would make an excellent choice for those looking for a competitively-priced motor but who also need something substantial in which to tow a caravan, horsebox or trailer. Driving off on my first outing with the Korando, a range-topping ES trim allwheel-drive version, there were no nasty shocks. Smooth, powerful with great allround vision, the car performed as well as a much more expensive competitor. The grip was fine, the ride remarkably refined and the in-house produced engine hushed and quiet compared with the old Mercedes-Benz power trains that the Korean marque currently depend on for their Rexton and Rodius. At a fiver short of £23,000, it seemed a bargain, with its leather upholstery, silky smooth automatic gearbox which gave seamless changes, electric driver’s seat, six-speaker Kenwood MP3 CD and RDS radio with iPod and Bluetooth, electric windows, windscreen de-icer, sunroof, rear parking sensors, cruise control, heated electrically-adjustable door mirrors, heated seats and privacy glass. Safety features include front, side and
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SsangYong K orand curtain airbags, electronic stability programme with rollover protection, active head restraints, ABS, hill-start assist, fog lamps, Isofix seat anchorage and alarm and immobiliser. However, you would think there had to be some sort of catch in order to produce a fully-loaded SUV for the Korando’s sort of money. Well, not really. It’s true that the interior trim and plastics have room for improvement, but they in no way let the SsangYong down in any way at all. Yet to produce a more-than-worthy addition to the competitive SUV sector and omit to give it something as rudimentary as a spare wheel seems more than a bit daft and pennypinching to me. For a vehicle that’s capable of serious stuff on Tarmac, over fields and on farm and forest tracks, you would think that a spare would be something of a must have, especially when there was a jack tucked away in the tool kit beneath the boot floor. However, that’s easily remedied and certainly won’t deter anyone in the market for a new crossover from passing by a SsangYong showroom. Let’s hope that it proves to be third time lucky for the Korean marque, for they really do deserve a bit of success, if only for trying again, again and again!
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SsangYong K orand
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SsangYong Korando
S SANGYONG KORANDO EX AUTO Price: ÂŁ22,995. Mechanical: 1998cc, DOHC, 173bhp four -cylinder turbo diesel engine, driving all four wheels through six-speed automatic gearbox. Max speed: 116mph. 0-62mph: 9.9 seconds. Fuel consumption: 37.3mpg combined. CO2 emissions: 199g/km. Warranty: five years/unlimited miles.
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