SsangYong Korando 2020 pricing and spec confirmed: Mazda CX-5 competitor from $26,990 driveaway

SsangYong has confirmed the full-time line-up of its crucial Korando mid-size SUV, which will kick off from $26,990 driveaway for the six-speed manual petrol EX variant.

Substantially undercutting opening grades of Japanese rivals such as the Mazda CX-5 (from $30,880 before on-road costs), Toyota RAV4 (from $30,990 BOCs) and Nissan X-Trail (from $29,890 BOCs), the entry-level South Korean Korando is powered by a 120kW/280Nm 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that drives the front wheels.

A six-speed automatic transmission can also be optioned on the EX grade, bringing pricing to $28,990 driveaway.

Standard equipment includes an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an LCD driver display, power-folding heated side mirrors, LED tail-lights and 17-inch wheels.

Safety-wise, the EX is fitted with autonomous emergency braking, front collision warning, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, reversing camera, driver attention alert, cruise control, high-beam assist, and automatic headlights and wipers.

The Korando mid-size SUV will kick off from $26,990 driveaway.

The next-step-up ELX grade is available in both turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel form, the latter producing 100kW/324Nm.

Available only with a six-speed auto, the ELX adds 18-inch wheels, leather steering wheel, keyless entry and one-touch power windows to the equipment list, as well as blind-spot detection, lane-change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and front and rear parking sensors.

Pricing for the EXL petrol is set at $30,990, while the diesel is $33,990.

The flagship of the Korando line-up will auto-only Ultimate, positioned at $36,990 for the petrol and $39,990 for the diesel.

Above the ELX, the Ultimate variant gains 19-inch wheels, a heated steering wheel, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, sunroof, powered tailgate, dual-zone climate control, chrome grille, heated and cooled front seats, heated second row pews, and leather upholstery.

Safety systems also get a boost with adaptive cruise control and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Fuel economy for the petrol grades are pegged at 7.7 litres per 100km, while the diesels return 5.5L/100km.

Standard equipment includes an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen.

All Korandos will swallow 551 litres in the boot, which will expand to 1248L with the second-row seats folded.

As with all new SsangYongs, the Korando comes with the brand’s seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, seven-year roadside assist and seven-year service price menu.

The Korando also carries a five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) crash test rating.

Just the petrol ELX and Ultimate grades are available in showrooms now, as well as the limited-run diesel ELX LE and Ultimate LE, with the rest of the Korando line-up coming on stream early next year.

2020 SsangYong Korando pricing driveaway: