2024 SsangYong Korando evaluation | CarExpert

The SsangYong Korando is likely one of the most forgotten and unappreciated new vehicles at present on sale in Australia.

This SUV is technically mid-sized in line with VFACTS classifications, and has been on sale in Australia in its present fourth-generation kind since 2019… however it’s nonetheless but to make waves in its hotly contended phase.

Final 12 months 631 examples of the Korando have been bought in Australia, firmly making it SsangYong’s slowest vendor.

The Korando is now beginning to look just a little small within the mid-sized SUV phase. When it launched it was virtually identically sized to the third-generation Hyundai Tucson, however now it’s equally sized to the Subaru Crosstrek which is technically a small SUV.

For mannequin 12 months 2024 (MY24) SsangYong axed the entry-level EX model of the Korando in Australia. This left the ELX and Final as the one ones to soldier on. On take a look at right here is the latter.

The axing of the Korando EX follows SsangYong culling the turbo-diesel engine possibility, which was solely supplied with all-wheel drive. All Korando variants at the moment are solely supplied with a turbo-petrol engine and front-wheel drive.

Is that this automobile a hidden gem ready to be unearthed?

How does the Ssangyong Korando examine?

View an in depth breakdown of the Ssangyong Korando in opposition to equally sized autos.

SsangYong

Korando

How a lot does the Ssangyong Korando price?

There at the moment are solely two Korando variants supplied in Australia. On take a look at right here is the flagship Final variant.

2024 SsangYong Korando pricing:

• 2024 SsangYong Korando ELX: $33,000
• 2024 SsangYong Korando Final: $38,000

Costs are drive-away

To see how the Korando compares with its rivals, use our comparability software.

What’s the Ssangyong Korando like on the within?

Strolling as much as the SsangYong Korando Final, even earlier than you unlock the automobile, you’re offered with some puddle lights that illuminate the bottom beneath the facet mirrors. This isn’t a revolutionary characteristic, however it’s a sensible contact particularly once you’re strolling as much as the automobile at nighttime.

Hopping into the automobile you pivot in fairly than stepping up or down. That is one key advantage of proudly owning a crossover SUV as they’ve a raised journey peak.

When you’re in you’ll discover you sit very excessive within the driver’s seat. It feels just like the seat is on stilts because the automobile itself isn’t overly tall. A excessive seating place is one thing SUV patrons search for because it provides them a confidence-inspiring driving place and clear view forward.

As commonplace within the flagship Korando Final is black “premium leather-based” upholstery which does look good, although I’m unsure if it’s truly leather-based. I’d guess on it being fake leather-based as a substitute because it does odor considerably plasticky, and will get uncomfortably sticky in hotter climate.

I used to be stunned to see each entrance seats are heated and cooled. Sometimes autos at this worth solely include heating, although it’s good, particularly in Australia, to have ventilated seats as properly.

The driving force’s seat comes with electrical adjustability which lets you dial in your most popular seating place. I used to be comfortable to have loads of adjustable thigh assist which is nice for these with longer legs, like myself.

The steering wheel will look very acquainted to you when you’ve ever pushed a Musso or Rexton. It’s a pleasant unit to carry however in some sections it’s surprisingly oval-shaped which might really feel a bit awkward.

Fortunately the steering wheel is heated, which was a godsend on chilly Melbourne mornings. Surprisingly nevertheless, the Korando would keep in mind when you had the steering wheel heater on the final time you drove it, however not the seats…

Behind the steering wheel are familiar-looking indicator and wiper stalks. They’re traditional SsangYong items, however are additionally shared with the Mahindra Scorpio and XUV700. For these unaware Mahindra used to personal SsangYong, which is now known as KG Mobility.

The flagship Korando Final comes with a ten.25-inch digital instrument cluster that’s vibrant and clear. The interface has a variety of cool transitions which does give me the vibe they let the intern unfastened within the results division.

There are many totally different instrument cluster views to select from, although for almost all of my driving I went with the boring possibility exhibiting a digital dials for the revs and velocity. I selected this as a result of it displayed probably the most data.

The 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system is beginning to look just a little small in 2024. It’s additionally not so prominently positioned on the sprint like different rivals which put them because the centrepiece.

Disappointingly the touchscreen doesn’t seem to have the best decision, that means it’s not as crisp as a few of its rivals. The display’s response to inputs isn’t all the time correct both, inflicting you to press the identical button a few occasions for it to correctly register.

The native person interface does look a contact aftermarket in comparison with its rivals and there’s actually not a lot performance to it outdoors of the radio. Fortunately there are bodily dials for the quantity and tuner, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is obtainable as commonplace, although it’s solely out there in wired kind.

With my iPhone 15 Professional Max linked utilizing the USB-A port I had a rock-solid connection to Apple CarPlay, which is the way in which it needs to be. One catch nevertheless is it was arrange within the left-hand drive configuration, that means the house button was on the alternative facet to what I’m used to. This wasn’t world-ending and simply took a second to get used to.

After I had my telephone plugged in for smartphone mirroring I discovered there was actually no good slot to place it. There’s a part forward of the gear selector however it didn’t match my iPhone Professional Max correctly, inflicting it to spill out and virtually make shifting again into Park a trouble.

Underneath the touchscreen infotainment system the dual-zone local weather management setup appears very Audi Q5-like with the row of piano key buttons. I recognize the quantity of bodily buttons and dials within the age of minimalism and integrating these capabilities into the touchscreen.

There are additionally loads of different bodily buttons across the cabin. A notable one is the distinguished drive mode selector dial that solely turns to the precise for 1 / 4 of a flip.

Trying across the cabin there are such a lot of piano black finishes. It’s virtually all over the place, together with the doorways. This dust-, grime- and scratch-prone floor might look flash on the showroom flooring however it shiny end doesn’t stand the take a look at of time.

There’s additionally a vaguely plastic odor to all the things within the cabin. That is most noticeable when you park outdoors on a hotter day and first hop in – after a whilst you get used to it.

Fortunately there are softer touches across the Korando’s cabin, particularly in high-touch areas just like the armrests and dashboard, although there are additionally loads of more durable ones. It’s just like what the Kia Seltos provides.

Up entrance there’s loads of storage for ins and outs, together with properly sized cupholders, a deep centre console bin, in addition to one of many largest glove containers I’ve seen in a brand new automobile. There are additionally twin bottle holders in every entrance door.

The very last thing I’ll point out earlier than discussing the second row is the Korando Final comes commonplace with a sunroof that does assist make the cabin really feel lighter and airier. I recognize the sliding cowl is totally opaque, that means when you don’t need the solar evident in you don’t must.

Hopping into the Korando’s second row you’ll be offered with a beneficiant quantity of house that fortunately isn’t impeded by the sunroof. There’s good leg-, head-, shoulder-, and toe house behind my driving place.

Though there’s a good quantity of house within the second row, there aren’t many facilities that make you wish to spend a very long time again there. For instance there aren’t any rear air vents or USB ports.

The one notable facilities within the second row embrace a single 12V socket and a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders.

There are additionally the requisite ISOFIX factors on the outboard seats, plus top-tether factors on all three rear seats.

On the again the Korando Final comes with an influence tailgate which opens briskly and quietly. As soon as it’s opened you might be just a little upset with the boot house on provide.

SsangYong claims the Korando has a boot capability determine of 407 litres with the rear seats upright, increasing to 1104 litres with them folded, however to my eye this doesn’t look fairly proper.

The boot appears actually smooshed with a excessive flooring as a result of full-size spare wheel taking over the house beneath. It appears similar to the Crosstrek’s boot which for reference solely has 291 litres of boot house.

I’m grateful SsangYong has geared up the Korando with a full-size spare wheel because it beforehand solely got here with a tyre restore package. That is essential for individuals who drive in rural and regional areas away from tyre restore outlets.

What’s beneath the bonnet?

Your complete SsangYong Korando vary is now completely powered by a turbo-petrol powertrain with front-wheel drive. The turbo-diesel powertrain with all-wheel drive was axed in 2022.

To see how the Korando compares with its rivals, use our comparability software.

How does the Ssangyong Korando drive?

Beginning up the SsangYong Korando there’s a very easy petrol ignition sound. It has a quiet idle, even when the engine is chilly not like some rival manufacturers’ engines.

Setting off it’s able to brisk acceleration in on a regular basis driving. The way in which the 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine delivers its energy could be very easy, and it doesn’t require as a lot work as a naturally aspirated engine.

You’re in a position to lean on the 280Nm of torque at low speeds because it comes on faucet from 1500rpm. This implies there aren’t as many gear adjustments wanted to take care of velocity or speed up.

A six-speed computerized transmission is the one possibility supplied in Australia and it’s silky easy and reliable. All of the shift factors are very predictable, which makes the driving expertise very stress-free.

The Korando does include a sport mode which stiffens up the steering and causes the revs to flare larger when accelerating. The engine doesn’t have probably the most interesting notice, however it’s nonetheless fairly peppy to fang round within the metropolis.

I a lot desire how the automobile operates in its regular driving mode nevertheless, and caught with that for just about all of my testing.

One catch about driving the Korando within the metropolis is it doesn’t have an engine idle stop-start operate like a few of its rivals. This implies the gasoline consumption balloons out once you’re caught in visitors.

A shock for me was how comfy and compliant the Korando’s suspension tune is, even with the bigger 19-inch alloy wheels fitted to our Final tester.

It does err on the firmer facet, however is fortunately nowhere close to as floaty as its Chinese language rivals. The Korean-built Korando is much from being sporty or dynamic nevertheless, as like quite a few crossovers which have a excessive centre of gravity it will get the leans within the corners.

Within the regular driving mode the steering is on the lighter facet, however there’s nonetheless a little bit of suggestions letting what’s occurring with the wheels. It’s a straightforward automobile to navigate in tight metropolis laneways, which makes parking it a breeze.

As commonplace the Korando comes with entrance and rear parking sensors, in addition to a reversing digital camera which has fairly poor high quality. It will be good to have a surround-view digital camera however on the Final’s worth level I can’t complain.

It’s very easy to choose up velocity within the Korando when you get out on the open street. Due to the turbo-petrol engine the revs are stored down actually low, and there’s loads of oomph if it’s worthwhile to overtake.

On the freeway and freeway the SUV turns into a simple tourer, although the engine does sit at a buzzy 2000rpm at 100km/h. I want there was only one extra gear so the revs may drop a tad decrease given there’s sufficient torque on faucet.

The gasoline consumption does cool down once you’re travelling at a relentless larger velocity, although when you’re continually accelerating and decelerating round city put together to be filling up with 95 RON premium petrol fairly typically. Primarily based on my math I’d be fortunate to get 500km on a tank.

The stable suspension efficiency continues at larger speeds. It’s in a position to iron out just about each imperfection and by no means feels overwhelmed with steady bumps.

On the security entrance the adaptive cruise management system is nice. Not like some techniques it doesn’t get overwhelmed and slam on the brakes when a automobile merges in forward of you. It’s going to as a substitute modulate the gap between you and the automobile forward actually naturally.

It’s not good nevertheless, as typically on the closest distance setting the Korando will brake just a little laborious when coming to a whole cease. It’s additionally just a little dopey when taking off once more.

The Korando Final comes commonplace with Clever Cruise Management which is SsangYong-speak for lane centring with the adaptive cruise management. It operates rather well on well-marked roads, although is fast to chop out when it will possibly not detect the road markings.

When the lane centring operate disengages it makes an annoying sound that just like a hospital monitor of some kind. It was sufficient to drive my companion batty from the passenger seat on a brief drive.

The very last thing I’ll point out on this part is the complete SsangYong Korando vary, even the flagship Final variant, nonetheless makes do with halogen headlights.

I perceive there’s a precedent for equally sized autos to nonetheless have halogen headlights (I’m you Kia Seltos), however in 2024 this isn’t actually ok.

What do you get?

There at the moment are solely two Korando variants on sale in Australia. On take a look at right here is the flagship Final.

2024 SsangYong Korando ELX highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Full-size spare wheel
• Halogen headlights
• Auto high-beam
• LED daytime working lights
• Entrance and rear fog lights
• Auto-folding facet mirrors
• Silver roof rails
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Proximity entry and push-button begin
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Electrical park brake
• Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel
• Retractable cargo cowl
• Heated entrance seats

Final provides:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Sunroof
• Privateness glass
• Energy tailgate
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• Twin-zone local weather management
• Good key
• Heated steering wheel
• Premium leather-based upholstery
• Ventilated entrance seats
• Electrical driver’s seat adjustment with lumbar
• Adaptive cruise management with cease and go
• Lane centring
• Tyre stress monitoring system

Is the Ssangyong Korando protected?

The SsangYong Korando acquired a five-star ANCAP security score primarily based on testing carried out by Euro NCAP in 2019.

It scores 88 per cent for grownup occupant safety, 86 per cent for little one occupant safety, 68 per cent for weak street person safety, and 72 per cent for security help.

Your complete vary comes with the next security tools:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic help
• Lane preserve help
• Lane change help
• Entrance and rear parking sensors
• Rear-view digital camera

Final provides:

• Adaptive cruise management with cease and go
• Lane centring
• Tyre stress monitoring system

How a lot does the Ssangyong Korando price to run?

The SsangYong Korando is roofed by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee with seven years of roadside help.

Logbook servicing is required each 12 months or 15,000km – whichever comes first. The primary seven providers are capped at $295 every.

All through my testing I realised the Korando’s common gasoline economic system gauge resets itself each time you drive the automobile. This implies I don’t have a correct common determine for my week of testing.

What I did as a substitute was notice down my common gasoline economic system for each single journey I did. For reference, the perfect determine I noticed was 7.0L/100km on a visit that was predominantly on the freeway, and the worst I noticed was over 11L/100km in some correctly heavy visitors travelling dwelling after work.

CarExpert’s Tackle the SsangYong Korando

The SsangYong Korando deserves to promote higher in Australia than it does.

This small-to-medium-sized SUV is keenly priced and sure right-sized for lots of people.

There’s loads of commonplace tools, plus the peppy little turbo-petrol engine makes commuting a breeze. SsangYong does additionally provide an extended guarantee with reasonably priced capped-price servicing for further peace of thoughts.

There are some sticking factors nevertheless, together with the extreme use of plastics and piano black inside, in addition to the halogen headlights.

One other gripe is the Korando’s thirst for premium petrol. I want the automobile got here with a stop-start system that might probably carry down the typical gasoline economic system once you’re sitting in visitors.

Should you’re getting an SUV I believe you’d be foolish to not take into account the Korando. Take one for a take a look at drive and you might be pleasantly stunned.

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