SsangYong may not be a very well known brand in the UK, but the Korean manufacturer has been beavering away and has come up with two distinct car-derived light commercials. The smaller of the two is the Kyron and it starts life as a 4x2 or 4x4 passenger car. The rear seats are removed, a load floor is installed and the rear side glass is blacked-out.There’s a single engine option. It’s a 2-litre common rail diesel capable of producing 141hp at 4,000rpm with peak torque of 310Nm available at 2,250rpm. A five-speed manual gearbox is fitted as standard, but an auto ’box is on the options list for the 4×4.
One of the real surprises is that the 4×4 can be run in two- or four-wheel drive at the turn of a dash-mounted knob, but the icing on the cake is that there is also a low-ratio 4×4 option. This is not a soft-roader. And there are more goodies; you get ABS, ESP and Hill Descent Control as standard.
At 2.4m3 and with a gross payload of 530kg the load space isn’t going to win any awards and the load floor would survive better covered with a rubber mat rather than carpeting, but at least there are four load-tie rings. Access is via either the rear side doors or the top-hinged tailgate.
The cab is best described as quirky, but it’s comfortable and the specification is laudable. Central locking, electric windows and door mirrors, driver and passenger airbags, climate control, RDS radio/CD player with remote controls and a height-adjustable driver’s seat all feature.
Service intervals are a bit frequent at 10,000 miles, but the whole package is covered by a superb five-year/250,000 mile warranty.
VERDICT
There is no denying that the Kyron is a well-priced van, especially in 4×4 trim, but we have to admit that the ride isn’t going to win much acclaim. Overall, however, this is a good value 4×4 workhorse.
