SsangYong Korando 4x4 gets cheaper with arrival of the Korando SX

SssangYong has dropped the entry price for its 4WD C-Segment SUV Korando with the launch of the Korando SX.

SsangYong is the Korean car maker that hasn’t yet quite managed to drag itself out of the bin marked ‘Oh, dear’, but the takeover of SsangYong by the deep-pocketed Mahindra and the launch of the seemingly convincing SsangYong Korando Crossover/SUV last year auger well.

The Korando is aimed at cars like the Hyundai ix35 and Kia Sportage, and it seems a decent enough offering in a slightly generic way (even if it is penned by Giugiaro), with a 2.0 litre turbo diesel with a decent enough 173bhp and with a choice of auto or manual, FWD or 4WD.

Until now, you’ve had to opt for the range-topping EX trim if you wanted a 4WD Korando SUV, but SsangYong has got a handle on that little obstacle my launching the Korando SX 4×4 with fewer toys and a lower price tag – £18,795 – which also gets slightly neutered with just 147bhp on offer instead of the 173bhp the rst of the Korando range enjoys.

Ssangyong seemed chuffed with their new 4WD economy SUV, boasting it undercuts the nearest 4WD C-segment crossover competition by 15 per cent, yet still has a decent spec including Hill Start, roof rails, tinted glass, Cruise, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity and parking sensors.

Whether buyers will consider the saving of £2,650 over the Korando EX worthwhile is debatable though. Despite losing 26bhp, the SX is less economical, and therefore more emitting, than its more expensive sibling and is likely to take an extra couple of seconds to get to 62mph (SsangYong aren’t giving us performance figures).

But if all you care about is how low the price of your compact SUV can go, the new SsangYong Korando SX could be for you.