Buyer’s Guide: 2020 Ssangyong Korando
Some people mistake Ssangyong for a Chinese brand, but it is actually the fourth largest car manufacturer in South Korea after Hyundai, Kia, and GM Korea.
Entering the Philippine auto market in 2016, the young brand (by Philippine standards, as the brand is actually more than 65 years old) currently hosts five cars in its local lineup, one of which is the recently launched 2020 Ssangyong Korando.
Get to know more about this compact crossover SUV in this Buyer’s Guide.
Specifications
Now on its fourth generation, the 2020 Korando is powered by a choice of 1.5-liter turbo gasoline (163 hp and 280 Nm) or 1.6-liter diesel (136 hp and 324 Nm), the Korando comes in three different trims: the Korando 1.5T Sport (gasoline), the Korando 1.6D Sport (diesel), and the Korando 1.6D Premium (diesel).
It’s worth noting that the outgoing model had 2.0-liter turbodiesel for the top spec. Ssangyong’s decision to go with engines of smaller displacement is in line with many of its peers, as the world shifts toward less fossil fuel use and more battery-powered road travelers.
All three trims have six-speed AISIN automatic gearboxes.
Unfortunately, while the international version comes in a choice of front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, only the former will be sold here.
Exterior
The latest Korando takes a similar route as Mazda in its sheetmetal, trading creases for curves. Overall exterior measurements are 4,450mm x 1,870mm x 1,675mm in LxWxH configuration. The headlights, daytime running lights (DLRs), taillights, foglamps and side lamps are all LED units. The car rides on 19-inch alloy wheels, giving it 170mm ground clearance. Buyers of the latest Korando model have four color options to choose from: Grand White, Dandy Blue, Cherry Red, and Silent Silver.
Interior
The Korando’s cabin follows a design theme that Ssangyong calls the ‘Blaze Cockpit,’ which displays a more European-inspired layout than the outgoing model. Seat material options include fabric, faux leather, or real leather. The 1.6 engine equipped variants will have dual zone climate control, power adjustable seats, tire pressure monitoring, powered tailgate, and chrome grille. Cruise control, keyless entry, and push button start/stop, a 10.25-inch Super Vision HD instrument cluster come standard across the range. For infotainment, there’s the 8-inch HD infotainment system with a whopping total of 34 ‘infinity mood lighting’ choices to suit your tastes. The audio system has both Apple and Android connectivity so you can play your favorite music along with your selected lighting program.
Space
The 2020 Korando has claimed boot capacity of 551 liters. With the rear seats folded, capacity increases to 1,248 liters. Wheelbase is a lengthy 2,675mm, which does wonders for legroom both at the front and back.
Safety
The 2020 Korando scored a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP after a barrage of crash tests. Out of the cars in Ssangyong’s Philippine lineup, the Korando is the only one to receive Euro NCAP’s highest rating. In comparison, the brand’s flagship SUV, the Tivoli, managed only four stars from the safety rating body.
Standard safety equipment are plenty, even in the base model. The latest Korando features adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, automatic high beam, rear cross traffic alert, front collision warning, front vehicle start alert, driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition, and traction control system. These are part of Ssangyong’s very own suite of driver assist features, called Deep Control.
As for the usual safety systems, the Korando offers more than the ordinary in the form of active rollover protection, electronic parking brake, rain sensing wipers, and parking sensors. The car also has seven airbags, ISOFIX child anchor seats, an engine immobilizer, and automatic speed sensing door locks.
Verdict
The 2020 Ssangyong Korando was launched last November. Below is the pricing for the three different trims.
| Ssangyong Korando 1.5T Sport | PHP 1,290,000 |
| Ssangyong Korando 1.6D Sport | PHP 1,578,000 |
| Ssangyong Korando 1.6D Premium | PHP 1,770,000 |
At these prices, this crossover SUV is clearly above the price range of many, and that’s intentional. As you may glean from the information provided here, The Korando is intended to be an affordably priced luxury vehicle, in order to give it the edge to compete with its contemporaries such as the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage. In this aspect, the 2020 Ssangyong Korando is certainly a worthy contender.
