With the arrival of the electric SsangYong Korando (2022), the most startling news is that the brand still exists at all. Will he knock out the competition with his range, price and charging speed, or is it a pinprick between all the electric violence of 2021?
What is striking about the electric SsangYong Korando e-motion (2022)?
huh!? SsangYong? Wasn’t that the Korean brand that tried to conquer the Netherlands with affordable SUVs with old, smoking Mercedes diesels? And that the Rodius created in a fit of madness? Yes, of course.
Many people think that the Korean brand has disappeared from the face of the earth, but you can just buy a Tivoli or a Korando. Not that anyone in the Netherlands did that: in 2019 it was two people, in 2020 five and in 2021 it was one. This copper was undoubtedly made a Knight of the Order of the Rodius with great ceremonial display at the SsangYong headquarters.
SsangYong has been in the hands of the Indian Mahindra in recent years. Edison Motors – who does not know it – will become the owner next year. This support offers new opportunities, and suddenly there is an electric Korando with a 190 hp electric motor that drives the front wheels.
What are the advantages of the electric SsangYong Korando?
SsangYong was an SUV specialist and they hope they will become an electric vehicle specialist. In terms of space, the Korando deserves praise in any case, because you do not get a much more spacious suv in a medium-sized SUV. Four adults of two meters can travel almost corona-proof, they have that much freedom of movement. The luggage compartment is the same size as in the petrol versions: 551 liters. No complaints about that either.
A heat pump with which you can cool or preheat the interior in an energy-efficient way before driving is standard. That will give you extra miles. Furthermore, SsangYong proudly reports that the electric Korando can tow a caravan of 1500 kilos – perhaps the argument to convince the travel-loving Dutch baby boomer.
What are the downsides of the SsangYong Korando e-motion (2022)?
Well, now we have to crack some hard nuts. The 62 kWh battery pack is not too large and the Korando does not get their hands on each other for the range of 339 kilometers.
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But especially with its charging speed – up to 50 kW – the Korean throws you five years back in EV time. Fast charging thus becomes a relative concept, knowing that no less than 54 minutes pass before the battery is charged from 20 to 80 percent. 54 minutes! With cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 you check your mail and take a pee (if necessary at the same time), but with the Korando it is better to print those mails and toss them through the letterbox to the recipients to kill time. Remedy: charge at home in peace at your own charging station; a process that takes ten hours.
When will the electric SsangYong Korando come to the Netherlands and what is the price?
If the Korando were extremely competitively priced, you could forgive it that it can only fast charge with a maximum of 50 kW. But it costs 39,900 euros, which makes it more expensive than a Kia e-Niro with 204 hp. Mind you, it has a range of 455 kilometers.
Don’t let these numbers discourage you? Then you can go to SsangYong in April 2022. In any case, it is well too late for the low addition of 12 percent…
What do I think of the SsangYong Korando e-motion (2022)?
If you want to put yourself on the map as a relative newcomer, you have to do it with a car that excels at something. That can be a low base price, a large battery pack with corresponding range, or a charging speed that even a Kia EV6 driver gets the hiccups. The electric SsangYong Korando has none of the three. I’m glad I’m not a salesperson at SsangYong.