Just two years ago Ssangyong's South Korean factory was the site of a pitched battle between workers and police, following a disastrous period of ownership under Shanghai Automotive which left the car maker facing bankruptcy.Skip forward two years and the company is touring the UK with a new crossover SUV that's light years ahead of its previous offerings, with backing from Indian industrial giant Mahindra & Mahindra.The all-new Korando features a brand new engine, built in-house; a company-first monocoque chassis and styling by Italian car design legend Giorgetto Giugiaro. It's hardly a design revolution, but it's clean and smart - representing the company's push forward in quality over its rather more, ahem, utilitarian offerings.That Ssangyong revived the name Korando - Korea can do - is something of an odd choice, considering this fresh new start but at least it's not saddled with a name that sounds like something unfortunate - Rexton and Rodius spring to mind.Ssangyong is aiming at fellow Koreans Kia and Hyundai with the Korando, while the Mitsubishi ASX is also in its sights. But it's the Nissan Qashqai that seems to be the target here, at least as far as vital stats go.Available in either two-wheel drive or with a torque-on-demand four-wheel drive system, the Korando gets just one diesel at launch with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmission.Prices start at £16,995, which is a shade higher than the entry-level Qashqai but top out at £22,995 for the range-topping 4WD Korando EX Auto. Korando engines and performanceSsangyong's brand new engine - developed through years of tinkering around with Mercedes' old diesel engines seen in the Rexton and Rodius - looks good on paper.A 2.0-litre common-rail diesel engine with 175bhp and chunky 360NM of torque, it offers decent fuel consumption and can tow two tonnes - a figure not to be sniffed at for those with horses, caravans or other towing needs - the best in the sector, according to Ssangyong.Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions differ on every model, between 37.7-47.1mpg and 157-199g/km respectively. There's quite a stiff penalty for the autobox with four-wheel drive over the manual two-wheel drive models that will make quite a difference to running costs, so it's important to work out needs and priorities when evaluating which powertrain combination. The two-wheel drive models both squeeze under the 160g/km for company car tax.It proves to be suitably peppy on the roads too - it's apparently good for a 9.9 second sprint to 62mph but it feels a little faster than that. Get it up through the gears and it's a relaxed cruiser too.It is a noisy beast, however. While this new engine from Ssangyong is much improved over the gruff old 2.7-litre diesels it's still not up there with the best modern oil-burners in terms of refinement at low revs; clattering away on tick-over even before the revs kick in.There's a six-speed manual and six-speed T-Tronic autobox available with this engine, currently the sole choice in the range. The torque is quite peaky, meaning the car sometime lurches into gear shifts, while the gearing on the manual left me a little bemused. First gear is very low and the car would be roaring away with normal pressure on the gas, followed by another jerk when second gear engaged. It's a quirky powertrain in either guise that doesn't match the best from Korea or Japan.I also found the throws between various gears a little fiddly too, finding myself flung forward in my seat once or twice when accidentally locating third rather than fifth.Others will find the low-down pull agreeable for towing and acceleration, while the taller high gears are good for cruising and fuel economy.A clever feature on all models in the range is a winter setting for the transmission. Select this via a button on the transmission tunnel and the gearbox will pull away in second, meaning less wheel slip and a greater chance of finding some bite on the road. There may also be lower gear ratios in the future, says Ssangyong.Front-wheel drive models make up the bulk of the range, but there are torque-on-demand 4x4 models that send extra twist to the back wheels when required with both transmissions.During a spot of ad hoc, if rather unchallenging, offroading I found the Korando capable and predictable; it may have been my imagination but I thought the ride a little less predictable on the road with the extra weight of the four-wheel drive - about 70kg heavier than the front-wheel drive models. The rather tall build means there's decent ground clearance too.Should you wish to, though I cannot imagine why you possibly would, you can select a semi-manual function with the autobox that can be controlled through a small rocker switch on the gearshift or via buttons on the steering wheel. It felt rather gimmicky, like an afterthought to me, though given the autobox's sometimes unpredictable gearchanges, owners may prefer to make their own decisions as to when they change gear.On the straight and narrow the Korando handles itself reasonably well, there's as much roadholding as you'd expect into the corners but extremely light steering that does not deign to provide feedback and rather wafty body roll mean the Korando feels most at home on the motorway, where it's quiet and smooth.The ride is rather compromised at lower speed, however, feeling unsettled by our notoriously poor road surfaces. It's decent around town though - feeling smaller than its spacious interior would suggest due to its ultra-light steering.Ssangyong says the Korando can go from field to school gates and, within reason, it probably can. The two-wheel drive manual and four-wheel drive automatics are expected to be the best-sellers; I'd suggest the former bypasses any fields during the school run.I can see the former appealing to those who like crossover vehicles for their on-road manners, the higher seating position, the interior space and the image.The latter may find favour with those requiring a workhorse - farm workers and those with horse-boxes, trailers or boats that need towing. With an impressive two-tonne braked towing capability and a gutsy engine with low-down grunt, it should tick all the required boxes.The Korando does not skimp on the usual driving aids. Stability control is standard, as is rollover protection, hill assist, brakeforce distribution and ABS. Airbags throughout are also standard. Korando specification and interiorIt's here that the Korando buying proposition comes into sharp focus. The majority of kit is standard throughout the range - and standard specification is generous indeed. Keyless entry, electric windows, cruise control, automatic headlight levelling, splitfolding seats, rear parking sensors, aircon, a CD radio with Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, alloy wheels and roof rails are all on the entry-level Korando S model.Step up to Korando ES and you gain heated leather seats front and back, sunroof, automatic folding doors mirrors, automatic aircon, rear privacy glass and larger alloys. EX trim has a couple of additions - tinted glass and a rear spoiler, but all told the model range is remarkably similar.A digital radio, detachable towbar, metallic paint and factory-fit Kenwood satnav are the only options.The satnav is fairly small and doesn't look great atop the centre stack, but it gives clear guidance advice - even though it sent me straight up a one-way street.The interior is generally a letdown; comfortably the least impressive element of the car. Despite smart leather seats on most trim levels - they look particularly smart picked out in Vitamin Red stitching - the dashboard is a symphony of hard, frequently shiny, plastics that hark back to a previous era.I did like the generous room for driver and passengers though, and the driver's seat is adjustable in various directions. The Korando also has a completely flat floor too, which is always handy for storage and legroom; all the expected binnacles are present and correct and the rear seats split and fold at the pull of a catch.Boot space is decent at 486 litres - thumbing its nose at the Qashqai again, which is 60-odd litres smaller, though the Hyundai ix35 is larger by around 100 litres - and load space can be extended significantly with rear seats folded down, while a very low lip makes loading easy. Korando prices and marketAll told the car is exceptionally well-specced and it's priced to take on the market leader, Nissan's sector-defining Qashqai. With the ix35, Sportage and ASX also in its sights, the Korando may end up beating the other high-value crossovers at their own game.Admittedly only time will tell how the market greets the new Korando in three year's time when residual values may suffer, though for brand-loyal Ssangyong customers resale may not be an issue.Prices start at a competitive £16,995 for the entry-level two-wheel drive manual model with S specifications and go as high as £22,995 for the 4x4 autobox EX.To get a gusty 2.0-litre turbodiesel with reasonable running costs, a high specification and a generous unlimited five-year warranty is a strong package (not quite the match of Kia's incredible seven-year warranty on the Sportage in this sector), but it wouldn't mean anything if the Korando was as far off the pace as its previous models have been.It is not; some quick jaunts out in the Rexton and Rodius, particularly, illustrating how much of a leap forward the new car is.Badge snobbery is often cited as a reason companies such as Ssangyong may find it hard to gain a purchase in a competitive market, but I'm not sure that counts if most car-buyers are unfamiliar with a badge, which I'd guess most are in this case. As it is Ssangyong can virtually approach the market with Korando as new car from a new manufacturer - shorn of its baggage.At the moment the lack of a widespread dealer network is a major problem in encouraging uptake in the UK. Live in Sunderland - the home of the Qashqai - and there's at least a 40-mile journey to your nearest dealership; but Ssangyong says it is embarking on a massive push to expand its reach and adding new outlets all the time.The Korando is good for the money; and it's decent in its own right. Ignore the raggedy engine noise at low revs - which fall away on the motorway - and the underwhelming interior and there's little to indicate that this isn't the product of a mainstream European, Japanese or Korean manufacturer.I'm not sure Ssangyong has quite equalled or bettered the competitors - and it's still some way short of the Fords and Volkswagens - but the Korando represents significant progress and, like the best budget manufacturers, offers a heck of a lot of car for not a lot of money.That means that Ssangyong should be on the list for anyone looking for a cheap, competitive car in this class - and you wouldn't have said that a mere two years ago. Ssangyong Korando milestonesEngines, drivetrain: 2.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel; 2WD or Torque-On-Demand 4WD; six-speed manual or six-speed T-tronic automaticPower: 175bhpTorque: 265 lb ft (360Nm)0-62mph: 9.9 secondsTop speed: 112mph for manuas; 116mph for automaticsFuel economy: 37.3-47.1mpg depending on drivetrain, transmission choicesCO2: 157-199g/kmInsurance group: 19
