SsangYong Korando

SsangYong Korando

Average. Previously an automotive joke, Ssang Yong was a purveyor of badly designed, over priced hate boxes. The Korando isn't going to blow your mind, but it's leagues better than its image suggests.

I best be straight with you from the beginning - you'll still aspire to own a Range Rover. The Korando isn't going to take your breath away on first glance. In fact, you may not notice it at all; if you do you may mistake it for a pre-facelift Chevrolet Captiva. Not a bad looking car by any means, but not one that's going to win a million design accolades. Or even one. Thankfully that doesn't mean it's as ugly as its oft mocked sibling, the Rexton.

Inside it's much the same story - it all looks just fine. There aren't any stand out features that'll cause your breath to stick in your throat. Unsurprisingly, there are a few that'll confuse you. The storage tray underneath the centre console is a fine place to pop mobile phones and other sundries, as with any other car - but Ssang Yong saw fit to pop the ash tray/pot thing just far enough in to make things awkward.

The materials used in the cabin aren't fantastic, either. While doing a 'road tester knock' (applying knuckle to trim) the door cards were left marked, the gear surround was scratched after only 700 miles of use and the leather upholstery appeared to have travelled 40,000 miles further than the rest of the car.

So it's a bit bland to look at and the interior is a touch ropey. Not ideal for a 'halo' car, really.

There's only one engine in the Korando range - a 2.0-litre 175bhp diesel which tugs you along with 266 lb ft of torque. That's not bad for a 2.0-litre unit, but (as is the way with the Korando, there's always a 'but') it sounds like you've just trodden on Brian Blessed's big toe with a particularly harsh stiletto on. Not great.

Performance is on offer, but it was hiding so well in the test cars on offer we couldn't find or feel its 9.9 second 0-62 time, and sitting at 70mph didn't suit the car at all.

Stick shifters probably won't enjoy the manual, so the Auto gearbox is the way to go, but don't try its manual mode. Our test car's displayed ratio and selected gear were two very different things. Apparently it'll do 1,500rpm in sixth gear at 30mph. Much as it does at 70mph.

Give the Korando a go if you're looking at the likes of the Chevrolet Captiva and Nissan Qashqai - it's very keenly priced. Though that's for good reason: it's cheaply made and going to depreciate like a stone. One for enthusiasts and weekend masochists, I think. It is, however, a rather cost effective way to get into a 4x4 SUV.

Then again, so's a Captiva.