SsangYong Turismo - A Worthy Car With A Very Affordable Price Tag

Toned-down look and better finish for rebadged Rodius seven-seat

The SsangYong Rodius has been the butt of a fair few automotive jokes over the years, but as part of a fresh start the company has overhauled the styling, improved the cabin and changed the name to Turismo.

The SsangYong Rodius

The cars now looks like a more traditional MPV – still not the most elegant design around, but unlikely to draw as many glances as the awkward Rodius.

Under the new body is a slightly tweaked version of the old car’s platform, so it retains its vast 3,000mm wheelbase (the same as a Toyota iQ’s full length). That means practicality is very much the Turismo’s forté, with seven spacious seats and a generous 875-liter boot when the rear bench is slid forwards. And if you remove this and fold the middle row, you can free up a 3,146-liter capacity – a Land Rover Discovery has 2,558 liters. It’s important to note that six-foot adults can fit in every seat, while the two-two-three layout makes access to row three easy.

Dash materials have a slightly higher-quality feel…

SsangYong has improved the quality of the cabin materials, with sort-touch plastics on the dash and a leather steering wheel. There are still a lot of shiny, scratchy finishes, though.

The Turismo is powered by a 153bhp 2.0-liter diesel developed by SsangYong. In our top-spec EX model, it’s hooked up to a five-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive, which results in disappointing 35mpg economy.

No official 0-62mph time has been announced yet, but it should be about 12 seconds, with reasonable acceleration and smooth shifts from the Mercedes-soured box. Not much engine noise disturbs the cabin, while the suspension seems to have been softened up, so it soaks up bumps better than the Rodius. The body shell itself isn’t that rigid, though – you can feel it flexing and hear thuds and creaks every now and then.

…and while they’re still a bit cheap, most owners will be won over by the seven-seat’s practicality

Slow steering means lots of arm twirling, while there’s a fair bit of body lean through corners.

SsangYong expects the Turismo to star at $26,823, with our top-spec model costing from around $35,767. That makes this four-wheel-drive seven-seat – complete with heated leather seat, sat-nav and air-con – $10,434 cheaper than an equivalent SEAT Alhambra. Add SsangYong’s excellent five-year, unlimited mileage warranty, and it’s suddenly not so easy to poke fun at this renamed Rodius.

Good: This is one of the biggest cars on the road – even tall adults can stretch out in the third row.

Not so good: The handling is sloppy and the Turismo will cost you much more to run than an equivalent MPV.

SsangYong Turismo

Verdict

You can criticize the Turismo’s lackluster handling, dismal economy and questionable cabin materials. But there’s also plenty to praise. Not only is its practicality almost unmatched, it comes with all the kid you could want and has a superb warranty. It’s far from perfect, but SsangYong’s big MPV is now less of a joke and more of a serious family option.