Revealed at the 89th Geneva Motor Show, the all-new SsangYong Korando looks set to take the small SUV sector by the scruff of the neck.
It will come to market with a healthy spec list, a new 1.5-litre petrol engine, and updated version of the old 1.6 diesel and there will be an EV to follow.
There has also been some restyling, with a new headlight and grille design to help it fit in with the current SsangYong family.
The new model is wider, longer and sits shorter on a longer wheelbase than the previous model. This translates into a spacious cabin and storage space of up to 1,248-litres, plus a boot space measuring 551-litres whilst seating five.
Inside, the re-designed interior is contemporary and offers plenty of tech as standard. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come fresh off the shelf, as does the 9″ infotainment touchscreen and 10.25″ LCD driver displays.
Seating in the front is adjustable four-ways, with lumbar support, whilst the interior is also kitted out with ambient lighting – the colour of which is changeable (maybe don’t tell the kids about that one). The door sills are designed to cover the lowest point possible, so that external dirt isn’t picked up and brought inside whilst climbing aboard.
Safety systems to assist Korando drivers include advanced emergency braking, lane keeping assist, safe distance and driver alerts, plus adaptive cruise control, high beam assistance, blind spot monitoring and rear traffic cross alert.
The new 1.5-litre GDI-turbo petrol unit has 163bhp at its disposal along with 207lbf.ft. The updated 1.6-litre diesel kicks out 136bhp and 239lbf.ft as low as 1,500rpm. Both units will comes with stop/start abilities on two-wheel drive models and there will also be a choice of automatic or manual six-speed transmissions.
There’s no official pricing yet, but when the new Korando goes on sale in Europe later in the year, SsangYong say that it will offer sector best value for money. On previous form, there’s no reason to doubt this.
