You get a lot of car for your money with the SsangYong Korando. Just £16,495 is not much to pay for a five-seat 4×4 with decent equipment and a five-year warranty.
It’s not a quick car, but you won’t be holding up traffic with a 30-60mph time of 16 seconds. The engine may not be whisper-quiet, but refinement has definitely improved compared with the pre-facelift Korando.
At a steady 60mph the car feels composed, with only a few steering corrections needed. However, in the lane-change test it slid sideways dramatically on the third and fastest run.
It was in the hill-start test that the Korando really fell short. However hard the lever was pulled, the handbrake wouldn’t hold car and caravan still on the 1-in-6 slope. It’s a real shame, as once moving in the right direction, the SsangYong had no trouble with the gradient.
Our practicality team found room for all but one item from our typical luggage load in the boot. The car comes with a compact spare as standard while a full-size spare is optional. SsangYong tells us it’s acceptable to tow with the compact spare if you have to. Hitching up is easy, thanks to a well-thought-out towbar installation.