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Vehicle Tests > Bold and the (not so) Beautiful: SsangYong Kyron 2.0Xdi
Bold and the (not so) Beautiful: SsangYong Kyron 2.0Xdi
Issue: May 2006
Road test by Mathieu Raudonikis Photos by Tim Munro
The Kyron is an odd vehicle that comes at an affordable price.
They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder so we usually choose not to comment on the style of vehicles in our road tests, preferring to let the readers make up their own minds. But the look of the Kyron was such a talking point while we had it on test that we feel obliged to mention its appearance here.
It seems that when the designers at SsangYong finished beating the Stavic with the ugly-stick they took to the company's new 4WD wagon. Thankfully they seem to have lost some of their vigour as the Kyron isn't as awful as the Stavic but the exterior design failed to win any admirers in the Overlander office, although one passer-by asked if it was the new Porsche 4WD. Make what you will of that comment.
The Kyron has odd lines and angles all over it. The rear end is strange with its bulging upper section and shield-shaped tail light clusters while the front-end is equally confused. It appears SsangYong contracted the first year students at Seoul design school for ideas and each of the students has put their own two bobs worth in. The rear-three-quarter view almost saves it, partly thanks to the 18-inch alloy wheels, but that's not enough.
Beyond first appearance
Now that we've got that off our chests we can look at the vehicle itself. With a starting price of $34,490; $37,490 for the auto transmission as tested here, the Kyron seems pretty good value for money. It was mooted as a compact SUV but the FCAI has chosen to list it in the medium category alongside its slightly larger stablemate the Rexton. The Kyron is only 100mm shorter than the Rexton. Parked next to a new Rav4 in the Overlander carpark the two appear similar in dimension and this is backed up by the actual specifications where the compact-classed Rav is actually bigger in some areas. In fact the Kyron, like the Rav, would be an ideally sized wagon for many families.
Being exclusively (at this stage) turbodiesel powered, the Kyron's closest competitor on spec has to be the Jeep Cherokee CRD but the diesel Jeep's pricing starts at around the $39,000 mark. The bigger Hyundai Terracan CRDi starts at $37,490 for a manual gearbox version while another alternative would be the $39,990 Land Rover Freelander Td4.
So a $37,490, turbodiesel, automatic, compact to mid-size 4WD wagon is quite unique to the Australian market. The Kyron represents a new entry-level vehicle to the diesel powered 4WD wagon class. It's relatively well specified with standard equipment including ABS, dual front airbags, lap/sash belts on all seats, CD audio system with steering wheel controls, remote central locks, leather covered steering wheel, rear parking sensors and 18-inch alloy wheels. Cruise control is standard on the auto transmission variants only.
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.
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.
read on below advertisement
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.
Inside the Kyron is a pleasant surprise (after you've taken in the outside). The fit, feel and finish of the materials used on the interior are better than we've come to expect from Korean vehicles and everything was easy to reach and use. The centre dash stack where the heating, ventilation and audio controls (HVAC) are located is an unusual assortment of odd lines and angles that reminds us of the old Ettamogah Pub, with no parallel or square lines. Despite the unique look it all worked well enough. Giving negative comments on the interior might seem a bit picky but the lack of a driver's left footrest and the uncovered vanity mirror in the driver's sun visor were annoying.
The cabin is well insulated from outside NVH and despite the fact that the driving position feels more like that of a people mover than a proper 4WD, there's not much to protest about the interior.
Something we will always gripe about is the lack of a full-size spare wheel and tyre, especially when we got a flat while on test. Our puncture came as a slow leak on the highway and we were able to stop the vehicle before destroying the tyre. The way the space saver is mounted under the back of the Kyron leaves a lot to be desired. The cradle carrying the spare looks like something Blind Freddy welded up in his backyard. When lowering the cradle and spare you need to support its weight while undoing a bolt and the thread on the bolt on this car was stripped making it a particularly arduous exercise. And then of course the cradle won't accommodate your dirty, flat full-size tyre so it has to go in the cabin; providing it's not already full of luggage and passengers. Space saver spare tyres are not good enough for Australian road conditions on any vehicle let alone a 4WD. 16-inch wheels and 255/65R16 tyres would not only be a better option on the vehicle but they should even allow a full size spare to be carried in a better designed cradle. The smaller wheels won't look as good on the Kyron though but what is more important to drivers?
The Kyron was one of those vehicles that we liked the more that we drove it but that was up until we got the flat tyre. While it's moving the Kyron isn't such a bad drive. The relatively cheap price and great fuel economy should help many buyers get past the odd exterior looks and the fit and feel of the cabin will win over some more. But that low-rpm engine lag and space saver spare need rectifying and until then the Terracan could be a better option.
SsangYong is planning to make the Kyron available with the 2.7L turbodiesel currently in the Rexton and this may rectify the engine problem but we expect this will be more expensive. There's also a petrol engined variant to come soon too and that will appeal to more buyers.
SPECS
SSANGYONG KYRON Xdi
RRP: $37,490 (auto)
Body & Chassis: 5-door, 5-seat, body on chassis
Engine Type: Common-rail, intercooled turbodiesel I4, DOHC, 16-valves.
Capacity: 1998cc
Bore x Stroke: 86.2 x 85.6mm
Compression Ratio: 18.0:1
Max. Power (claimed): 104kW @ 4000rpm
Max. Torque (claimed): 310Nm @ 1800-2750rpm
Specific output (claimed): 51.47kW/161.76Nm/litre
Power to Weight: 17.7kg/kW
Transmission: 5-speed tip-shift auto; part-time 4WD; two-speed transfer case
Gear Ratios (overall reduction)
First: 3.951 (13.04/32.37)
Second: 2.423 (8.00/19.85)
Third: 1.486 (4.90/12.18)
Fourth: 1.000 (3.30/8.19)
Fifth: 0.833 (2.74/6.82)
Reverse: 3.147 (10.39/25.79)
Axle Ratio: 3.3:1
High/low ratio: 1.000/2.483
Front Suspension: Independent; upper and lower wishbones; coil springs; anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Live axle located by 5-links; coil springs; anti-roll bar
Brakes: 4-wheel discs with ABS
Park Brake: Centre lever to rear discs
Steering Type: Power rack and pinion
Turning Circle: 11.2 metres
Wheels/Tyres: 8 x 18˝ alloy/255/60R18
Kerb weight: 1960kg
Towing Capacity (unbraked trailer): 750kg
Braked Capacity: 2300kg
Fuel Capacity: 80 litres
Fuel Consumption-
ADR 81/01: 8.6L/100km
Test Average: 9.8L/100km
Range*: 880km
Safety: Dual front airbags, 5 lap/sash seat belts, belt pre-tensioners
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km
*Range estimate based on fuel tank capacity, ADR 81/01 fuel consumption and a 50km safety margin.
Road test by Mathieu Raudonikis Photos by Tim Munro
The Kyron is an odd vehicle that comes at an affordable price.
They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder so we usually choose not to comment on the style of vehicles in our road tests, preferring to let the readers make up their own minds. But the look of the Kyron was such a talking point while we had it on test that we feel obliged to mention its appearance here.
It seems that when the designers at SsangYong finished beating the Stavic with the ugly-stick they took to the company's new 4WD wagon. Thankfully they seem to have lost some of their vigour as the Kyron isn't as awful as the Stavic but the exterior design failed to win any admirers in the Overlander office, although one passer-by asked if it was the new Porsche 4WD. Make what you will of that comment.
The Kyron has odd lines and angles all over it. The rear end is strange with its bulging upper section and shield-shaped tail light clusters while the front-end is equally confused. It appears SsangYong contracted the first year students at Seoul design school for ideas and each of the students has put their own two bobs worth in. The rear-three-quarter view almost saves it, partly thanks to the 18-inch alloy wheels, but that's not enough.
Beyond first appearance
Now that we've got that off our chests we can look at the vehicle itself. With a starting price of $34,490; $37,490 for the auto transmission as tested here, the Kyron seems pretty good value for money. It was mooted as a compact SUV but the FCAI has chosen to list it in the medium category alongside its slightly larger stablemate the Rexton. The Kyron is only 100mm shorter than the Rexton. Parked next to a new Rav4 in the Overlander carpark the two appear similar in dimension and this is backed up by the actual specifications where the compact-classed Rav is actually bigger in some areas. In fact the Kyron, like the Rav, would be an ideally sized wagon for many families.
Being exclusively (at this stage) turbodiesel powered, the Kyron's closest competitor on spec has to be the Jeep Cherokee CRD but the diesel Jeep's pricing starts at around the $39,000 mark. The bigger Hyundai Terracan CRDi starts at $37,490 for a manual gearbox version while another alternative would be the $39,990 Land Rover Freelander Td4.
So a $37,490, turbodiesel, automatic, compact to mid-size 4WD wagon is quite unique to the Australian market. The Kyron represents a new entry-level vehicle to the diesel powered 4WD wagon class. It's relatively well specified with standard equipment including ABS, dual front airbags, lap/sash belts on all seats, CD audio system with steering wheel controls, remote central locks, leather covered steering wheel, rear parking sensors and 18-inch alloy wheels. Cruise control is standard on the auto transmission variants only.
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.
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.
read on below advertisement
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.
Inside the Kyron is a pleasant surprise (after you've taken in the outside). The fit, feel and finish of the materials used on the interior are better than we've come to expect from Korean vehicles and everything was easy to reach and use. The centre dash stack where the heating, ventilation and audio controls (HVAC) are located is an unusual assortment of odd lines and angles that reminds us of the old Ettamogah Pub, with no parallel or square lines. Despite the unique look it all worked well enough. Giving negative comments on the interior might seem a bit picky but the lack of a driver's left footrest and the uncovered vanity mirror in the driver's sun visor were annoying.
The cabin is well insulated from outside NVH and despite the fact that the driving position feels more like that of a people mover than a proper 4WD, there's not much to protest about the interior.
Something we will always gripe about is the lack of a full-size spare wheel and tyre, especially when we got a flat while on test. Our puncture came as a slow leak on the highway and we were able to stop the vehicle before destroying the tyre. The way the space saver is mounted under the back of the Kyron leaves a lot to be desired. The cradle carrying the spare looks like something Blind Freddy welded up in his backyard. When lowering the cradle and spare you need to support its weight while undoing a bolt and the thread on the bolt on this car was stripped making it a particularly arduous exercise. And then of course the cradle won't accommodate your dirty, flat full-size tyre so it has to go in the cabin; providing it's not already full of luggage and passengers. Space saver spare tyres are not good enough for Australian road conditions on any vehicle let alone a 4WD. 16-inch wheels and 255/65R16 tyres would not only be a better option on the vehicle but they should even allow a full size spare to be carried in a better designed cradle. The smaller wheels won't look as good on the Kyron though but what is more important to drivers?
The Kyron was one of those vehicles that we liked the more that we drove it but that was up until we got the flat tyre. While it's moving the Kyron isn't such a bad drive. The relatively cheap price and great fuel economy should help many buyers get past the odd exterior looks and the fit and feel of the cabin will win over some more. But that low-rpm engine lag and space saver spare need rectifying and until then the Terracan could be a better option.
SsangYong is planning to make the Kyron available with the 2.7L turbodiesel currently in the Rexton and this may rectify the engine problem but we expect this will be more expensive. There's also a petrol engined variant to come soon too and that will appeal to more buyers.
SPECS
SSANGYONG KYRON Xdi
RRP: $37,490 (auto)
Body & Chassis: 5-door, 5-seat, body on chassis
Engine Type: Common-rail, intercooled turbodiesel I4, DOHC, 16-valves.
Capacity: 1998cc
Bore x Stroke: 86.2 x 85.6mm
Compression Ratio: 18.0:1
Max. Power (claimed): 104kW @ 4000rpm
Max. Torque (claimed): 310Nm @ 1800-2750rpm
Specific output (claimed): 51.47kW/161.76Nm/litre
Power to Weight: 17.7kg/kW
Transmission: 5-speed tip-shift auto; part-time 4WD; two-speed transfer case
Gear Ratios (overall reduction)
First: 3.951 (13.04/32.37)
Second: 2.423 (8.00/19.85)
Third: 1.486 (4.90/12.18)
Fourth: 1.000 (3.30/8.19)
Fifth: 0.833 (2.74/6.82)
Reverse: 3.147 (10.39/25.79)
Axle Ratio: 3.3:1
High/low ratio: 1.000/2.483
Front Suspension: Independent; upper and lower wishbones; coil springs; anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Live axle located by 5-links; coil springs; anti-roll bar
Brakes: 4-wheel discs with ABS
Park Brake: Centre lever to rear discs
Steering Type: Power rack and pinion
Turning Circle: 11.2 metres
Wheels/Tyres: 8 x 18˝ alloy/255/60R18
Kerb weight: 1960kg
Towing Capacity (unbraked trailer): 750kg
Braked Capacity: 2300kg
Fuel Capacity: 80 litres
Fuel Consumption-
ADR 81/01: 8.6L/100km
Test Average: 9.8L/100km
Range*: 880km
Safety: Dual front airbags, 5 lap/sash seat belts, belt pre-tensioners
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km
*Range estimate based on fuel tank capacity, ADR 81/01 fuel consumption and a 50km safety margin.
