Used Ssangyong Korando 2011-present review

Whether because of its rather awkward name or not, Ssangyong has yet to establish itself as a major brand in the UK’s public consciousness in the same way that fellow South Korean manufacturers Hyundai and Kia have.

This is despite a range of decent, good-value cars, headlined currently by the excellent Tivoli SUV. Alongside that is the larger Korando. There was actually a Korando on sale in the UK before this one, many years ago, but it was this 2011 model that brought Ssangyong wider attention. A family SUV, it’s a rival for a number of immensely popular and extremely competent cars, including the Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, and as a new purchase it’s always managed to undercut most of those competitors on price. The Korando also scores highly on looks, practicality and space, and with a torquey engine, it also has the ability to tow more than two tonnes.

At launch, it offered only one engine, a 2.0-litre diesel with 147bhp or 173bhp. This unit was replaced when the Korando was facelifted in 2014 by a 176bhp 2.2-litre diesel. There was also the option of two or four-wheel drive, and a six-speed manual or an automatic gearbox on certain trims.

There are three trim levels: SE, EX and ELX. Even entry-level SE models are well equipped, with air conditioning, alloy wheels, keyless entry, all-round electric windows, cruise control and Bluetooth. EX models add rear privacy glass, a touchscreen infotainment system, heated front seats, climate control and bigger wheels. Top-spec ELX models are available only with four-wheel drive and are alone in offering an automatic gearbox. On top of EX, it adds bigger wheels, electric adjustment for the driver’s seat, heated rear seats, sat-nav and leather upholstery. The Korando been updated twice so far: once in 2014 and again in 2016.

On the road, the 2.2-litre engine in newer Korandos has more punch than the older 2.0-litre unit, although it has to be said it doesn’t make this rather heavy car anything other than distinctly easygoing. Unfortunately, it makes plenty of noise, too, being clattery and gruff when cold and not an awful lot better when warm. It doesn’t even fade into the general melee of noise as it goes faster, as most diesels tend to do, despite the fact there’s also quite a bit of road noise and wind noise. The manual gearbox has a long throw and is a bit notchy, too.

It’s not just in terms of refinement that the Korando feels a little old-fashioned; its ride and handling aren’t in the same league as those of its major rivals. There's plenty of body lean in corners and the steering is very vague, sapping the driver’s confidence. It's quite easy to run out of grip at the front of the car, too. On the plus side, the Korando smoothes out lumps and bumps well around town, being quite softly sprung, but its ride at higher speeds can be caught out by irregularities in the road a little too easily.

Inside is a sensible interior with logically placed controls, both major and minor. The driving position is good, with reasonable adjustment and good visibility, but there’s no getting away from the rather bargain-basement feel of it all, with plenty of hard plastics in evidence. The 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system of pricier models is mounted high, so you don’t have to take your eyes too far from the road. It is, however, an aftermarket system with some Ssangyong logos grafted on. This means the menus look dated and it can be slow to respond to inputs.

Where the Korando really scores is in space. There’s plenty of room up front for a tall driver and passenger. And, as this is quite a wide car, there’s plenty of room for three abreast in the back, and you can even recline the rear bench. Head room is impressive, as is leg room. The boot is a competitive size, too, and there’s no loading lip to get in the way. On top of that, the rear seats fold completely flat. There are also plenty of useful and deep storage areas dotted around the interior.

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It’s possible to buy an earlier 2.0-litre Korando with a high mileage for around £4000, but we’d recommend spending more, maybe between £5000 and £6000, and looking for one with an average mileage for the year and a full history. Up the money to between £7000 and £9000 and you’ll get post-facelift, 2014/2015 cars from independent dealers, all in good condition and with full dealer facilities. Spend £10,000 and upwards and you’ll bag a 2015 or 2016 car with a low mileage and full history.

Unsurprisingly, it’s the current 2.2-litre diesel models that are the most efficient. In SE trim, official average fuel consumption is 53.3mpg, with corresponding CO2 emissions of 139g/km. The four-wheel drive models fare poorer, raising consumption to 48.7mpg and CO2 emissions to 152g/km, while the automatic gearbox pushes those figures down to 41.5mpg and up to 177g/km.

Annual road tax is based on CO2 emissions for cars registered before 1 April 2017, which means you’ll pay slightly less for older Korandos than for ones registered after that date, which will all fall into the flat rate of £140 per year.

Insurance groupings are in the range 26 to 28, which is about average for the class.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 12,500 miles, and costs are roughly on a par with competitors'. There are no service plans currently available.

Presuming you’re looking at post-2014 Korandos, we’d go for the 2.2-litre diesel with a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive, avoiding four-wheel drive unless you have a particular need for it.

We’d look for a car in SE trim. It may be the entry-level model, but you still get plenty of equipment, incluing cruise control, heated electric door mirrors, keyless entry, air conditioning, Bluetooth and alloy wheels. It does miss out on the infotainment touchscreen, though.

Our favourite Ssangyong Korando: 2.2 SE

The most popular car in this class is the Nissan Qashqai, the SUV that more or less defined the class and spawned a hundred imitators. Used ones have a little bit of a poor reputation for reliability, but the car itself is great to drive, comfortable to be in, spacious and practical. It’s a great family SUV.

The Kia Sportage is another popular SUV much in the Qashqai/Korando mould. It’s good to drive, spacious inside and has a large and practical boot. It also comes from new with a seven-year transferable warranty. It’s good value used, too, and spreads back over two previous and popular generations.

Find a used Ssangyong Korando in the What Car? Classifieds here

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