The Ssangyong Korando gets a fresh new look for 2014

Aesthetics is not the strongest point for Ssangyong - it's not that they are unpleasant, but easily forgotten. The Korean firm aims to change that with the enhanced Korando, with a design that is more in line with compatriot offerings from Kia or Hyundai.

The face of the Korando receives an all new treatment - a slimmed down, black mesh radiator grille, more contemporary headlights and a wider, low level air intake.

The new headlight units now comprise of projection lamps and LED daytime running lights for increased visibility and safety, surrounded by a black and aluminium bezel.

At the rear, the design changes are focused on enhanced style with detail improvements such as the rear light cluster, which now includes LED lights for improved visibility. There are new designs for the wheels, and three new exterior colours.

The interior poses a significant re-design, and now combines an attractive and comfortable ambiance for the driver and passengers alike. The completely redesigned dashboard features soft-touch materials for a greater sense of luxury, complemented by natural matt wood grain insets, and abundant storage space that includes enlarged cup holders, a mobile phone tray and flip-down sunglasses tray.

The Korando offers 486 litres of cargo space and can be expanded to a vast 1,312 litres with the 60:40 split seats folded.

The range topping ELX4 six-speed automatic is matched with the smooth and efficient 172bhp rated e-XDi200 Euro 5 diesel engine with a maximum torque of 360Nm. Models with the six-speed manual shifter get the 146bhp rated e-XDi200 engine, with similar torque output levels.

Stronger, reinforced mounting brackets effectively reduce engine noise levels by up to 9.3 percent. The Macpherson struts at the front and multi-link suspension at the rear provide excellent ride comfort, and the three-point mountings to the rear axle effectively minimise noise and vibration. 

Three of the four new models come with four-wheel drive based on Ssangyong's highly regarded four-wheel drive technology and years of experience.