Vehicle Tests > Bold and the (not so) Beautiful: SsangYong Kyron 2.0Xdi

Notably absent is a proper spare wheel. While the 18-inch alloys look the goods on the vehicle there isn't the space for a spare one under the back where a space saver is fitted. More on that later.

The Kyron is constructed on a separate ladder chassis to which double wishbone, coil spring front suspension and coil spring five-link, live axle rear secure the four-wheel disc brakes and big alloy wheels.

The front end feels well damped and turns in nicely thanks to rack and pinion steering providing just the right amount of feedback to the driver. The live rear axle only lets the side down on rougher corrugated trails where axle tramp and bump steer become evident. This design does however provide reasonable articulation for the rear wheels in offroad conditions.

The large 255/60R18 tyres no doubt contribute to the Kyron's quoted 216mm front and 278mm rear ground clearance but we found the front and gearbox crossmembers hang low and scrape readily when offroad. The centre muffler on the vehicle we tested had also taken a serious blow at some point in the vehicle's past.

Mechanically the Kyron comes with a 2.0L common-rail injected, intercooled turbodiesel. This little mill puts out 104kW at 4000rpm and more importantly 310Nm from 1800 to 2750rpm. This was backed in the test vehicle by the optional five-speed, tip-shift auto. The 4WD system is a traditional part-time set up offering 2WD (rear) 4WD-high and 4WD-low via a dash dial and all diffs are open type offering no traction enhancement. Nor is there any electronic traction control on offer in Australian spec Kyron's. Electronic traction and stability control are offered in overseas markets and we hope it will come here with the engine options that are to come.

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How does it all work?
Onroad the engine is quiet with adequate power once on the move. The problem is getting it there as there isn't much on offer until the engine reaches peak torque at around 2000rpm. Actually the off-the-mark lag borders on dangerous as hill starts can leave the vehicle breathless and pulling out into traffic becomes an extreme sport. This would be even worse in manual gearbox equipped Kyrons as getting them going could prove a challenge.

Most modern turbodiesel/auto transmission combos are able to disguise any lag with the torque converter but SsangYong has failed to do this effectively. Once the engine does come on boost the Kyron rockets forward and this light-switch acceleration makes low speed negotiations like round-abouts tricky, particularly in wet weather.

Redeeming features for the engine are its smooth and economical cruising. The official combined fuel use figure is 8.6L/100km for the auto Kyron while on test we averaged 9.84L/100. Add that to a healthy 80-litre fuel capacity and the Kyron get a useful 800km-plus touring range.

The lag problem is lessened when in low-range for offroad work as the power comes on sooner. The left-right action of the tip-shift auto is also easy to operate making for simple offroading. The live rear axle works well offroad making up someway for the limited articulation at the front. Visibility over the bonnet isn't great as the front slopes down giving no real indication of where the bumper is and while we're at it rearward vision isn't good either. Thankfully there are parking sensors at the back.

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