SSANGYONG is back on the Irish car market after an absence of five years. The Korean company has been saved by a huge investment from Indian conglomerate Mihandra and Mihandra and this time round the cars are being imported into Ireland by the Harris group on the Naas Road, who have already established 11 dealers countrywide.
The first group of cars coming here are the Korando, Korando Sport and Rodius, with a new Rexton due in February. My test car was an orange coloured Korando and the good news is that the price has just been reduced by one thousand euro, bringing the entry price down to
?¬24,995.
Ssangyong had a reputation for building massive diesel crossovers, none of which were very pretty but were still fairly popular. You may still see the Rodius being used by some Dublin taxi drivers. Now thanks to the famous Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who has previously designed for Ferrari and Lamborghini, we have a more attracting looking Korando.
In slow moving traffic a fellow motorist pulled up alongside me and asked if I was driving the new Renault Captur. It’s not unlike the Captur, and I could see how the observant driver might have been confused as Renault also use an orange-coloured Captur on their press cars.
If my fellow traveller could see the car from the front, the grille might remind him of a Jaguar. Other tyre-kickers told me that it looked a bit like the Nissan’s Qashqai; it was a bit like showing off a new baby to relations for the first time.
There was a lot to like about the Korando. The high driving position, windscreen wiper heating, which could be very useful in a harsh winter, heated front seats, space saver spare wheel to name just a few. The list of standard equipment filled almost two pages of the press release. I also liked the notice on the dash which tells you in large print how many kilometres you can drive until you need to refuel.
While the burnt orange-coloured exterior was attractive, inside black was the predominant colour. However, there was a touch of orange on the mats which did give it a lift. The only thing missing was a grip over the driver’s head. A grip is provided for the passenger, but somebody forgot the driver. Plenty of room for five well-built adults in the back and the boot is massive.
It is only available in Ireland as a two-wheel drive, 2.0 litre diesel. In England the Korando was recently named Caravan Club Towcar of the Year in its price category, so plenty of pulling power. I certainly enjoyed my time in the Korando; it was a pleasure to travel in it and I got plenty of attention from fellow motorists and pedestrians alike. Well kitted out with a five-year warranty, but slightly more expensive than the Qashqai, the one they all want to beat.