Our Cars: SsangYong Korando 1.6D Ultimate Auto 4WD
24 April 2020: Does the SsangYong Korando still offer excellent value for money?
The Details
| Current mileage | 5483 |
|---|---|
| Claimed economy | 41.5mpg |
| Actual economy | 35.4mpg |
SsangYong has always been a value brand. It's almost the Kia and Hyundai of 2020 - where the Korean brands and have moved upmarket and are now competing in the mainstream, SsangYong has joined brands like MG and Dacia in catering for the bargain basement market.
There's a 'but'. My SsangYong Korando is £32,500. You can get a very highly-specced Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Peugeot 3008 or pretty much any alternative for that sort of money. Dan's old Skoda Karoq Scout wasn't much more than that, and that was lovely.
Of course, there's a caveat. My Korando is a very highly-specced press car that no one in the real world will actually buy. Not unless you get a big discount for a pre-registered or nearly-new example, anyway.
The most affordable SsangYong Korando is the entry-level ELX model, which'll cost you £19,995 when paired with the petrol engine and manual gearbox.
The Nissan Qashqai starts from around £20,500, the Kia Sportage £21,000 and the Karoq £22,500. While the Korando's start price dips in below £20,000, it seems like little more than a token gesture in the grand scheme of things.
At least the Korando comes well-equipped as standard. Even the ELX comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic lights/wipers and cruise control for no extra cost. That's pretty good.
My Ultimate spec model comes with, well, everything. There's 19-inch alloy wheels, leather seats (heated and ventilated, no less), a nine-inch touchscreen navigation system... even infinity mood lighting. You'd have to spend significantly more to get those levels of specification on a car from a rival manufacturer.
So, yes, SsangYong is getting more expensive - but it still represents excellent value in terms of what you actually get for your money,.
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