GO
GoAutoLogo
MENU

Make / Model Search

New models - SsangYong - Kyron

Kyron takes diesel path to riches

Bold projection: SsangYong expects to sell 1200 Kyrons this year.

SsangYong has been a quiet achiever but its Kyron may shake things up

8 Feb 2006

IT may still be a small player in Australia, but Korean manufacturer SsangYong has signalled its intention to get serious.

Its new mid-size Kyron XDi four-wheel drive is priced from $34,490 and joins Hyundai’s $37,490 Terracan as one of the first turbo-diesel SUVs under $40,000 in a move that is clearly aimed at rattling some compact and medium Japanese 4WD petrol offerings.

Visually, the five-door, five-seater, which was designed by Brit Ken Greenley, moves away from some of SsangYong’s more adventurous styling efforts of the past, adopting a fresh wedge shape with an aggressive front end rising to a narrow rear-most window line.

However, some quirky design cues are evident, from the multi-faceted grille to the heraldic “shield” tail-lights.

The manufacturer claims the vehicle moves SsangYong up a notch in quality, safety and body strength. It claims the bodyshell is one of the most rigid yet built by the Korean brand. The A- and B-pillars use high-tensile strength steel and extra cross members under the floor.

Engineering work was also undertaken on dust sealing, suspension tuning and hot-weather testing for Australian conditions.

The XDi is well equipped, coming with dual front airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, anti-lock brakes, foglights, rear three-point centre seatbelt, 18-inch alloys, leather steering wheel, 60/40 split-fold rear seat, in-dash CD stereo, rear parking sensors, cruise control and electric windows/mirrors.

In May the range will be expanded to include a 121kW/342Nm 2.7-litre CDi diesel as well as a 162kW/312Nm 3.2-litre in-line petrol engine – both originally Mercedes-Benz units, which should sell below $40,000 for the 2.7 and $45,000 for the premium-equipped petrol six.

Initially though, SsangYong Australia will focus on the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, which develops 104kW at 4000rpm and 310Nm from 1800rpm. The diesel is mated to either a standard five-speed manual transmission or a five-speed sequential automatic manufactured by Mercedes-Benz and has an intelligent shift system that reads the driver’s driving style. The auto is a $3000 option.

SsangYong claims the vehicle will deliver fuel economy of 7.7L/100km combined for the manual or 8.6L/100km combined for the auto, which should provide a good cruising range from the 80-litre fuel tank.

Based on the Rexton 4WD, Kyron rests on a smaller 2740mm wheelbase and at 4660mm in length is also a tad shorter overall. It is 1880mm wide and 1755mm high with a front and rear track of 1570mm.

By comparison, Toyota’s new RAV4 is 4600mm long, sits on a wheelbase of 2660mm and has a front and rear track of 1560mm.

The Kyron’s 2.0-litre engine is a third-generation common rail unit developed by SsangYong with the block, cylinder heads and pistons sourced from Mercedes-Benz suppliers.

28 center imageThe Kyron’s part-time 4WD system offers two-wheel drive as well as high and low-range 4WD modes via a dashboard-mounted switch.

SsangYong claims it is also is one of the quietest vehicles in its class. The dash panel and firewall transmission tunnel have a foam-padded dual-layer structure that not only reduces the transmission of noise to the interior but also increases bodyshell rigidity.

The same anti-vibration material is used for the side panels and roof, along with extensive soundproofing.

The wagon sits on a ladder frame, triple-layer steel chassis with a separate subframe and rigid bodyshell and tips the scales at between 1956kg and 2028kg.

It offers a towing capacity of 2300kg. Suspension is via a double-wishbone front with a five-link coil system at the rear.

SsangYong Australia hopes the Kyron will become a volume model and aims to sell 1200 this year with a forecast of up to 2000 next year. This year it aims to sell a total of 4500 vehicles across the board with a 2007 forecast of 6500.

PRICING:
Kyron XDi $34,490
Kyron XDi (a) $37,490

GoAuto can help you buy a new Kyron

Customer Terms and Conditions – New Car Lead enquires

Agreement

This is an agreement between GoAutoMedia Pty Limited ACN 094 732 457 of PO Box 18, Beach Road, Sandringham, VIC, 3191 (“we/us”), the owner and operator of the GoAuto.com.au website (“the website”) and the person wanting GoAuto.com.au to provide them with a lead for the purchase of a new car (“you”).

By completing a New Car Lead Enquiry, you agree to the terms and conditions and disclaimers and acknowledge the policies set out below.

Terms and Conditions

  • In order for us to effect a lead you must you must complete a New Car Lead Enquiry (“Enquiry”).
  • We will call you as soon as possible after you complete the Enquiry and certainly no later than the next business day. When we call, we will discuss with you your new car requirements.
  • You consent to our passing on the Enquiry and your requirements to an appropriate authorised motor car dealer as a lead.
  • We will contact you again in approximately eight days following your initial enquiry to check on the progress of the Enquiry.
  • While we will provide the dealer with the Enquiry and details of your new car requirements, we take no responsibility for what happens after passing on that material as a lead.
  • You acknowledge that we are a new car information service providing new car editorial information, pictures and prices to our customers as a guide only. Any new car prices published on the website are the manufacturers’ recommended retail prices and do not include delivery charges and on-road costs. Any authorized motor car dealer to which we pass on your Enquiry as a lead will provide you with full details of the price at which the vehicle will be sold to you.
  • You acknowledge that we do not sell motor vehicles. Any sale of a new car to you by a dealer after we have passed on your Enquiry to that dealer as a lead, is a sale by that dealer not by us.

Privacy Policy– New Car Lead Enquires

  • We take privacy very seriously. We understand that you will only complete an Enquiry if you can trust us to protect your personal information and use it appropriately. Our policy is to ensure that the personal information collected when you make an Enquiry is only used for the purposes of connecting you with an authorised motor car dealer.
  • We do not on-sell information collected from you or any other customer.
  • From time to time, we may email you with information or promotions that may be relevant for car buyers. You will continue to receive communications from us unless you tell us that you do not want to receive any advertising or promotional information in the future by unsubscribing from these communications.
close
* Denotes required field
** Australian inquiries only

Click to share

Click below to follow us on
Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

SsangYong models

Catch up on all of the latest industry news with this week's edition of GoAutoNews
Click here