SsangYong Korando

The SsangYong Korando is a small SUV produced from 1983–2006 and from 2010-onwards. The name Korando is a contraction of "Korea Can Do".

First generation

The production of Jeeps built under the Korando name in started in 1983 by Geohwa Company.^[3] In 1985, Geohwa was taken over by Dong-A Motor, SsangYong's predecessor. In 1986, when the SsangYong Group took over Dong-A Motor, its name was changed to the SsangYong Motor Company and began to export the jeeps to Japan and in 1988 to Europe.^[4] The Korando was outwardly similar to the Jeep CJ-7. A 9-seat extended version was also available called the Korando K9.^[5] Production ended in 1996.

After the introduction of this model the company made a licensed version of the original Isuzu Trooper and sold it under the 'Korando Family' name, but that car was only marketed in South Korea, Southeast Asia and to a lesser degree South America. It used the Trooper's 2.2L diesel engine but later versions of this Trooper based Korando are reported to use a 2.3L Mercedes-Benz turbodiesel engine.^[6]

Second generation

The second generation "New" Korando was released in Asia in 1996 to compliment the SsangYong Musso (released in 1993),^[7] released in Europe in 1997 and in Australia in 1998, based on a shortened version of the Musso's chassis.^[8] The 1.8 tonne 3-door SUV was designed by Briton Ken Greenly. It features a choice of 2.3 litre and 3.2 litre gasoline engines or 2.9 litre diesel engine, all produced on license from Mercedes-Benz, accompanied by a 5-speed manual Borg-Warner gearbox. The interior of the second generation Korando was unique because it had a steering wheel arch on either side. This was to make converting to right-hand-drive easier. On the passenger's side, a handle was fitted in the arch.^[9] This generation was sold as the Daewoo Korando from 1999 to 2001, as Daewoo took over SsangYong but was forced to sell it.

Third generation

Released in 2004, the third generation Korando was merely just an upgrade of the second generation.^[10] Production ended in 2006; however sales in many markets continued through to 2007 due to remaining stock. It was available with a variety of petrol and diesel engines, including a 2.9-litre 5-cylinder diesel from Mercedes-Benz.^[11] In 2008 Russian TagAZ began to assemble Korando as the TagAZ Tager, not only 3-door version, but also specially created 5-door version.

Fourth generation

The fourth generation Korando, codenamed the SsangYong C200^[13] began production in late 2010.^[14] It is to be the first car to be released as part of Mahindra Motors and SsangYong's revised lineup.^[15] It is slightly smaller than its rivals, the Hyundai ix35 and Kia Sportage. The decision to name the C200 the Korando was done so by SsangYong.^[16] The car will be sold in Russia as the SsangYong Actyon.^[17]

Features

The fourth generation Korando was initially released with a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed Aisin automatic transmission and is in production from May 2011. It is also to be offered as a 2-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive from launch. Its combined fuel consumption is 6.1L/100 km and acceleration from 0–100 km takes approximately 10 seconds.^[18] The engine available upon release is, a 2.0 liter turbodiesel producing 175 horsepower but a petrol engine is expected to be introduced too.^[19]

The Korando comes with 6 airbags as standard. The trunk capacity is 480 liters; however this can be expanded to 1300 liters when the seats are folded down.^[20]

Reception

The new Korando was well received from a design perspective, with many reviewers noting design improvements over previous models, with critics calling it "a huge improvement over ugly previous efforts like the Rodius". Interior space too, was praised, as was the all-new monocoque chassis. However, the engine and gearbox received mixed reviews, with some reviewers criticizing the engine for not utilizing its full potential at low speeds and being harsh at high speeds and the gearbox for having "awkwardly spaced gear ratios" and for amplifying the poorness of the engine, others commended the engine for having strong pulling power and the gearbox for having "well spaced ratios".^[21][22][23]

Concept models

Since 2008, five concept cars (some named C200) have been unveiled:

C200

The original concept, the C200, debuted at the 2008 Paris Motor Show^[24] and has since been shown at many others. The concept received mostly positive feedback and was thought by many to be the vehicle that can turn SsangYong's reputation for having cars with questionable styling around.

C200 Aero

The C200 Eco made its debut at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show. If it was released, (a plan which never happened due to SsangYong's bankruptcy), it would have been offered with a choice of a 2.0 litre turbodiesel engine or 1.8 litre gasoline engine both outputting 132 kW (175 hp).^[25]

C200 Eco

The C200 Eco made its debut at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show. It is a hybrid which uses both a diesel engine and an electric one (powered by a 340 volt battery). It also uses a stop-start system which shuts off the engine during stops. Fuel saving will be around 25%.^[26] The interior features a green trim and an airy cabin.

Korando C

Launched at the 2010 Busan International Motor Show, the new Korando C concept has stayed mostly the same as the previous concepts but has more aggressive styling and is said to be a representation of the production version. Performance-wise, the new concept has a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and a confirmed power output of 135 kW (184 PS; 181 hp) and 360 N·m (270 lb·ft) of torque.^[16] The interior is similar to that of the C200 Eco.^[27]

Korando EV

Launched at the 2010 Busan International Motor Show, the new Korando EV was a fully electric version of the Korando C.^[28] It has a top speed of 150 km/h, and a range of 180 km.^[29]

References