SSANGYONG has announced a mid-life update for the Korando SUV for 2014.
A new nose incorporates projection headlamps and LED running lights, and there are new wheel designs and colour options. Inside, there’s a redesigned dashboard and improved soft-touch materials to lift the mood.
Under the bonnet is SsangYong’s own Euro 5 compliant 2.0-litre 175PS diesel, available with six-speed automatic and manual transmissions. In the revised car, a lot of attention has been paid to the engine mounting brackets as part of a wider push to improve refinement – and there are new rubber bushes on the subframes as well.
The SsangYong Korando was generally well received when it was launched with a very direct value-for-money campaign in 2011, although Renault has provided some tough competition in the budget SUV market with the Dacia Duster.
Established models such as the Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai ix35 and Kia Sportage can be considered rivals as well.
Although SsangYong Korando has inevitably been offered with a two-wheel drive option, three of the four models in the line-up are 4x4s and the company continues to emphasise that this is a proper off-roader rather than just another crossover.
Prices for the revised 2014 model start at £14,995 for the front-wheel drive 2.0 SE and top out at £21,495 for the all-wheel drive 2.0 ELX4 automatic, although with CO2 emissions between 147 and 199g/km the Korandos take a bit of a company car tax hit compared with some rivals that have smaller diesel engines.
SsangYong’s answer is waiting in the wings – a new Nissan Juke-style crossover, codenamed X100 and already shown in concept form. That will have smaller engines and is set to arrive in the UK next year.
