Ssangyong Kyron II a sound offering

Any SUV is now really up against it in the post July 1 CO2 tax system. The revised Kyron II has a C02 emission rating of 206 g/km and falls into tax band F. It is powered by an economical new 2.0 litre diesel engine. More of that later, first a little background. Now before I confuse you, Ssangyong has two similar vehicles - the Actyon and Kyron. They share almost identical specifications; mechanicals, engines, gearboxes and so on, with just the rear section slightly different. The Kyron has a larger boot area and a differently styled rear. Ssangyong markets the Actyon as a lifestyle SUV and the Kyron as the family SUV, as it offers greater space in the luggage area. Why they are so similar is anyone"s guess but the Kyron is more expensive by €2,000: again, why? I don"t know as only the larger boot space differentiates one from the other. The Kyron is, according to Ssangyong, a "pioneering new European style of Sports Activity Vehicle". There are four versions of the new Kyron, all with the 2.0 Xdi diesel engine. A 2wd cloth-trimmed manual, (the version on test here) a 4wd cloth manual, a 4wd cloth automatic, and a 4wd leather trimmed automatic. Those who chose the 4wd version will be pleased to learn that a simple push of a button switches it from 2wd to 4wd. However this week we drive the 2WD, 2.0 Xdi 5-speed manual. First Impressions The style is certainly distinctive and a bit different from the normal SUV offering. Overall I like it. The Kyron deserves praise for daring to be a bit individual. The cabin is impressive with everything well laid out and a good standard of fit and finish. Standard equipment is quite good on this the entry level model, with twin airbags, ABS, air-conditioning, alloy wheels, front and rear foglights, electric windows, central locking and of course an immobiliser. I have two huge gripes which highlight two unacceptable omissions. There is no ISOFIX for a child seat and they claim this is a family SUV! Furthermore there is no ESP (electronic stability programme) on the 2WD version (the 4WD version has it), and I can tell you this 2WD needs it! The cabin is roomy and the luggage area is large and spacious with an in-floor storage are to keep smaller items from rolling around. In this area it is visibly much larger than the Actyon. Performance Powered by a 2.0 XDi 141bhp turbodiesel, performance is good. The test car had the five-speed manual transmission, which was light and slick. This gearbox seems to work well with the turbodiesel providing healthy acceleration, refined cruising and decent fuel consumption (top speed is around 163kph and overall consumption on the test was 8.7 litres per 100km). Road Behaviour The steering is a bit woolly and lacks road feel, but this is not meant to be a sports car. However BEWARE, the Kyron has a nasty habit of swinging the tail on a greasy road surface. On a number of occasions I had to take corrective action as applying power exiting a corner resulted in the tail starting to slide. To be fair I was testing the car, but anyone could inadvertently get themselves into this situation. Just enter a corner a little too quickly and you could have your hands full! This is completely unacceptable today. Why fit ESP to the 4x4 version and not the 2WD, which actually needs it? You certainly won"t find yourself or your passengers enjoying a hurtle through the twisty stuff as cornering is accompanied by a degree of body roll. In this area the Kyron is not as agile or as comfortable as many other mid-size SUVs. The bodyroll also results in the Kyron not being able to corner as quickly as many other SUVs in this class. The suspension set-up is quite soft and therein lies the only drawback of an otherwise quite good SUV. Verdict Prices start at €34,995 for the 2wd version rising to €44,495 for the 4wd auto version. The commercial version starts at €25,000 rising to €33,500 for the 2.0 auto. Overall I think the Ssangyong Kyron is a well rounded SUV. It offers versatility, economy, and a pretty good level of equipment. However it is lacking in the area of dynamics and I feel it really should have ESP and ISOFIX and therefore it looses a lot of marks for these omissions. Otherwise it"s not bad at all!