Ssangyong Korando long-term test review: report 3

The car Ssangyong Korando 1.6D Ultimate Run by Max Edleston, junior photographer

Why it’s here The new Korando aims to take on the family SUV class leaders with improvements to its engines, suspension and interior quality. Over the next four months, we'll find out if it can do just that

Needs to be Spacious enough to carry all of my photography gear plus any passengers, comfortable enough to travel all over the country in and connected enough to function as a mobile office

Mileage 7707 List price £31,995 Target Price £31,536 Price as tested £31,995 Test economy 40.4mpg Official economy 43.5mpg

2 January 2020 – Step into my office

It’s a phrase you’ll hear a lot from people who spend a lot of time on the road, but my cars really do need to function as a mobile office. This means they need to be practical as well as relaxed, so the comfort of their seats, the number of USB sockets, and indeed how many cup holders are within reach of the driver’s seat are all important matters to a jobbing photographer who covers thousands of miles every month. And with my car being the ‘Ultimate’ edition, I had high hopes of the Korando.

Overall, the Ssangyong’s interior has been very well thought through. I have had many people get in the car to be pleasantly surprised by the number of “gadgets” it comes with, the interior styling and the quality of its finish – all positive points that I agree with. The leather seats, for example, are comfortable and supportive, and the infotainment screen is simple to use, with a clear menu structure. The screen itself is the ideal size and the buttons are clear, plus they're far enough removed from the screen itself that you won't end up pressing something on-screen when you try to reach for the Home shortcut. This point might sound trivial, but when it’s 6am and all you want is to find something smooth to listen to for your ride to work, it all matters.

It's not perfect, though; while there are a total of six cup holders – including two in each door card another two in the central armrest – I've not found many bottles that will fit those in the door cards. In fact, I’ve tended to use them more for oddment storage, for keys and such.

Back to the positives, though, and I’d like to give praise to the 12V socket afforded to rear passengers: it allows me to charge my laptop or (more likely) camera batteries on the go. Again, being able to arrive at my destination relaxed and with my kit charged makes all the difference.

And if that’s not all enough, let’s not forget that the Korando is simply massive inside, too, as I’ve covered in previous updates, and is offered at a very reasonable price – especially if you buy through What Car?.

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