HERE is a bit of a surprise – a SsangYong whose design does not slap you in the face… Which is not to say the company has gone all soft, because the latest Kyron still has enough character to stand out in a crowd. It is just that this latest model has the presence – and, importantly, the features – to challenge the more obvious contenders in the SUV market. Given SsangYong’s steadily growing support base, and the make’s increasing reputation for strength and reliability, the new Kyron has a lot going for it. Does it deliver?
Arguably the only area where it does not stack up against its immediate rivals is the chassis, which continues to be a separate ladder-frame type, rather than being integral with the body in a now-more-common monocoque construction. Offroad, this is considered to be an advantage, but on-road the opposite can apply, and the Kyron does have the fidgety ride that many ladder-frame SUVs and pick-ups generate. It mars an otherwise smooth cruising gait.
This latter aspect is a credit to the Mercedes-based 2,7-litre turbocharged and intercooled diesel, a common-rail direct injection five-cylinder engine with twin, chain-driven overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, and running on an 18:1 compression ratio. It develops a healthy 121 kW at 4 000 r/min, and an ample 340 N.m of peak torque right across the most used rev range of 1 800 to 3 250. Economy is a strong point, and the Kyron not only won its class in the 2007 Total Economy Run, but it was the most economical diesel auto in the entire field. CAR’s fuel index works out at a relatively thrifty 9,2 litres/100 km.
The turbodiesel is mated with a five-speed T-tronic auto transmission that has two modes, “S” for standard and “W” for winter (which bypasses first gear in forward and reverse to help overcome wheelspin in extremely slippery conditions). However, its operation is a bit old tech: on occasion the shifts have a slurry action, and it does hunt at times. There is manual override, activated either by an unusual flick switch on the side of the shift knob, or buttons on the steering wheel. For the money, the Kyron out-does its rivals by offering a dual-range transmission and two- and fourwheel drive, the latter with convenient “shift on fly” capability up to 70 km/h.
Standing start acceleration was accompanied by some unexpected tail squat and wheelspin, and the near two-ton Kyron sprinted to 100 km/h in a respectable 11,85 seconds, sped past the kilometre marker in 33,08 seconds at 159,4 km/h, and went on to an averaged top speed of 189 km/h. Using kickdown, 60 to 120 km/h takes 12,33 seconds.
By contrast with the go, the slow was a little disappointing. Despite big all-disc brakes, ventilated up front, and ABS with EBD, the average stopping time from 100 km/h was 3,14 seconds, which is pretty much par for the class, but nevertheless just falls into CAR’s “poor” rating. The Kyron’s nose dives dramatically under severe braking – the interior mirror gets filled with sky – which might suggest soft suspension, but the ride is actually quite firm. Handling is typically 4wd understeery, accompanied by some squeal from the 16-inch, 235/75 tyres when pressing on. The steering is light but with practically no feedback, so, overall, the Kyron is best driven sedately.
The spacious cabin is light and airy, but a number of the test team commented on the iffy quality of some of the fixtures and fittings, and on the number of creaks that could be heard from the trim in what was – for a test unit – a high mileage vehicle. But even so, with around 12 000 km of hard life on the odo, we would expect the Kyron to still feel taut. Upholstery is leather, and the driver’s seat has two cushion height/angle adjusters as well as variable lumbar support, but the bolstering is a bit meagre. Both front and rear seats are mounted high, but headroom is still adequate. There is plenty of oddments storage in the doors, behind the front seats, in the floor console/ armrest, and in the non-lock facia cubby. Two spectacles holders are included in the overhead console.
Carrying capacity is a highlight. Beneath the retractable, removable vinyl cargo cover there is a huge 488 dm3 of luggage space, with an additional three-division compartment under the boot board, and compartments in the rear quarter panels (the jack sits in the lefthand one, but the right-hand one is empty) with the catches neatly doubling as bag hooks. There are four tie-down hooks on the floor. A 12V power socket is provided. The loading height is 740 mm – some protection on top of the bumper would be of benefit – and the tailgate rises to a sensible 1 880 mm. The rear seat is split 60:40, and as the backrests tip forward, the respective cushions move forward but do not tip, resulting in a stepped load floor. Utility space is still a generous 1 368 dm3. Incidentally, the space-saver spare wheel sits under the chassis.
Test summary
Taken as a whole, the Kyron is an SUV that has appeal to urbanites and adventurers alike. It is easy to drive, spacious, economical to run, and has good dealer back-up. For anyone with a yen for the great outdoors, it also has the mechanical attributes to go quite far off the beaten track. Without doing anything exceptionally well, the SsangYong does not fall down in any particular area, either. It may not have the cachet of some of its rivals, but the Kyron does not pretend to be anything but the simple, honest, practical and versatile vehicle that it is.
