2014 Ssangyong Actyon Sports Reviews

With a new distributor in Ateco Automotive, this year saw a model rationalisation and a reprice for the SsangYong Actyon ute. It now represents better value given the level of standard equipment and what you actually get for your money.We've tested the Actyon Sports model and have positive thoughts about the tough Korean workhorse. You'd certainly shop it against any of the other one tonne Japanese (Thai-built) utes because it stacks up against any of them. In fact, the Actyon is better than some of the more favoured offerings in the segment on a number of scores and not just price. Build quality for one.PRACTICAL DESIGNThe standard load tray liner springs  to mind, a 600kg payload is also worth keeping in mind and the tray shape lends itself to different applications because of its depth and width. They also include the tray lock into the remote central locking system. All good sensible stuff.The truck's front that looks as good as anything else on the market and is a decided improvement on the first hideous face on Actyon. The rear looks the same and is purely functional rather than a style setter.FEATURESKit inside the cabin is generous including aircon, cruise, a decent audio system, trip computer, leather wheel, power ancillaries, auto folding wing mirrors, Bluetooth phone and audio and a multi function wheel.UNDERNEATHBut it's under the skin where the Actyon really shines. Those in the know will only need to get down on their knees for a look under the rear to appreciate the level of engineering in this light commercial.For a start it has a robust ladder chassis complete with coil spring suspension all round. The rear axle is located by a multi-link system and feels robust enough to take 600kgs easily. It has a familiar look mechanically - possibly due to the influence of Mercedes-Benz years ago when it owned a share in Ssangyong.ENGINE AND TRANSMISSIONThe four cylinder engine is a 2.0-litre VM Motori unit with 114kW/360Nm outputs. There's a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed auto available (we had the auto) and it offers selectable 4WD by a dash mounted dial. Combined fuel consumption in this 2.0 tonne vehicle rates 7.9-litres/100km.DRIVINGWe clocked about 1000km in the Actyon and it served to verify our favourable impression of the vehicle. The cabin is large and easily takes five with plenty of rear seat legroom and large rear doors. We think the three star crash rating listed on ANCAP's website from 2010 may be out of date. It has much more safety kit than it did back then.The drive experience is good with better comfort than most of the competition thanks to the coil spring suspension. But the load height might be an issue for some. Engine performance is strong even when fully laden and there's minimal noise or vibration from anywhere.It sits on the road well limited by the height and suspension calibration and remember, this is a working truck, not a sports sedan. The interior is comfortable particularly the seats and we like the style of the fully soft feel dash (other manufacturers take note).VERDICTWould we put down our hard earned on the Actyon? Yes, and pocket the difference between it and the 'Japanese' one tonners which are no better at best. SsangYong Actyon TradiePrice: from $26,990Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, 114kW/360NmTranmission: 6 speed manualThirst: 7.3L/100 km (RWD), 7.4L/100km (4x4) 

Great Wall V200 and Ssangyong Actyon Tradie go head-to-head in this comparative review.

Which would you prefer to eat? Kimchee from Korea or pad thai from Thailand. That's what it's like when it comes to one tonne utes. Most of the ones we get here are out of Thailand, but the Ssangyong Actyon is from Korea. We were keen to give it a try because we see Korea as more advanced than Thailand.And the new Actyon Tradie - the entry level model in Ssangyong's new ute lineup reinforces this notion in plenty of areas. It's a good thing as well as being a much better looker than the previous model.VALUEIt sells for $26,990 for the six-speed manual we drove last week. This is the steel wheel special, the work truck that never has an empty tray, the one that lives outside and never gets a wash, rarely a service.And get this, even though it's the base model the Tradie scores Bluetooth phone and audio, a soft feel dash and other cabin touch points, aircon, remote central locking including the spring loaded tailgate and a multi-function steering wheel.It needs a left foot rest for the driver and the handbrake lever mover on the right side. Apart from that, Tradie is full steam ahead.TECHNOLOGYThis is a complete revamp of that ladder chassis vehicle with a new front, new interior and new powertrain including a 2.0-litre turbodiesel with a variable geometry turbo from VM Motori in Italy. There's plenty of power and torque from the engine that's good for 114kW/360Nm, the latter from a low 1500rpm.And Ssangyong has geared the Tradie right with a low first to get off the mark smartly when heavily loaded, well spaced intermediates and a high but not too high top for cruising. Fuel consumption is good at 7.3-litres/100km which gives a 1000km plus range from the 75 litre tank.DESIGNThe four-door dual-cab body offers room for five and access through the rear doors is easy. There's a tray liner protecting the painted two square metre tray bed. A tray bar to tie on lengths of timber or ladders over the roof would be handy.DRIVINGThis one feels solid as a rock and yet has coil spring rear suspension and rides like a passenger car even when unladen. Look underneath and there's a big diff, large springs and fittings, robust tailshaft - stuff that looks like it can take a pounding.We did a bit of that too loading the Tradie with nearly a tonne of pavers despite the load capacity being about 850kg. Handled it no trouble.VERDICTWe like it. Love the price and would definitely prefer an Actyon to a Chinese take away. The time Mercedes-Benz spent with Ssangyong had a positive engineering effect in that the latter knows how to build a truck.SsangYong Actyon TradiePrice: from $25,282Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, 114kW/360NmTranmission: 6 speed manualThirst: 7.3L/100 km (RWD), 7.4L/100km (4x4)

The Korean Actyon and the Actyon Sports — the differences are largely confined to the chassis length and the bodystyles — arrive at a reasonable price into two market segments that continue to grow.Both are offered with petrol or diesel engines, manual or automatic transmissions; both have two trim levels and the Actyon Sports ute is also available in two-wheel drive.Both have fabulous noses, shark-like character lines from the windscreen forward. Until the B-pillar (the one behind the front seats) the shorter Actyon hatchback and the Actyon Sports share exterior style and cabin detail.Then the Actyon turns into a bob-tailed, four-door hatchback and the other into a useful four-door ute.Most mechanicals are shared, apart from a 320mm shorter driveline on the Actyon, which sits at 4455mm in body length compared with the Actyon Sports' 4965mm.And for much of the driving experience the pair are quite similar, in particular here with diesel-automatic versions of the Ssangyong siblings driven back-to-back.Maybe the hatchback rides a touch tauter and quieter, maybe it sits a bit taller on the road yet otherwise the results are much the same. Here is a pair of Koreans with a fresh (some think too fresh) approach to style, reasonable build quality and sturdiness plus decent pricing. The style polarises opinion.The Actyon, up against the likes of Toyota's RAV4, Nissan X-Trail and Honda CR-V, looks like a Dakar racer. It sits tall and squat with a little bit of crouch on 18-inch alloy wheels. The hatchback style is unusual in this part of the market and indeed that falling-away roof line at the rear cuts into luggage space (especially when the Actyon's rear floor sits so high). So perhaps it loses a little here against the rivals which generally arrive in conventional wagon styles, albeit with a few curves and swoops.But before the tyrekickers start taking aim at the Actyon's unusual style, take a quick look at the Audi concept coupe (possibly pointing to a forthcoming Q3 or Q5?) shown at the Shanghai motor show earlier this year. If it's OK for Audi to play with this school of thought the Ssangyong crew may just be running ahead of the pack.The Actyon Sports ute of course shares the same frontal treatment as the hatchback, apart from the material filling in the grille opening. The ute's looks are welcomed in this segment where there's been little adventure in style for some time (though the current Mitsubishi Triton has lifted the bar.)Unlike the Actyon, the Actyon Sports has a very useful tray area out back. It is not overlong at 1275mm but there is decent width at 1610mm and depth of 540mm.Some of the cabin details in this pair lack a bit of fit and finish but layout and design work well.Again, the front cabin of both Actyon and Actyon Sports are the same. There are the three big instruments — speedometer, tachometer plus the collected fuel and temperature gauges — in front of a steering wheel with audio controls. The rest of the controls, including a dashboard knob to shift into four-high and four-low, are all logical and easy to find, even if the tactile experience isn't always up there with Japanese rivals.Strange too that the shift-gate for the auto transmission can be a little awkward when the design is lifted from older Mercedes-Benz.There is, even in standard models, the usual array of comfort and convenience features including air conditioning and CD/stereo. ABS is standard on Limited models, driver and passenger airbags are standard across the range, but only the Limited version of the Actyon scores electronic stability program, brake assists and traction control.Back seat space is better in the Actyon than the Actyon Sports. Here the ute loses out a bit over the competition from the Toyota HiLux, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton. But remember the price savings over comparable Japanese rivals.The Actyon Sports is the follow-up to the Ssangyong Musso Sports, a reliable hauler. There are improvements in ride, steering and general handling dynamic and the new machine remains a reasonable off-roader for light to medium duties.There wasn't a chance this time round to give the stubbier Actyon a serious off-road workout, but the general specifications and those good approach and departure angles, suggest the little Musso will outdo compact rivals in this area.The standard four-wheel-drive Actyon Sports is let down to some extent by the 16-inch, 225/75 Kuhmo tyres. These may lose traction at small provocations, detracting from what's not a bad chassis.The smaller Actyon, riding on more rubber, is that much quieter and more confident when the road surface becomes trickier.But both diesel-powered Ssangyongs have one annoying trait — that's the turbocharged, four-cylinder engine finding its get-up-and-go somewhere the other side of 2000rpm.In the Actyon this can lead to a great gob of torque locking up the rear wheels as the machine moves off; in the Actyon Sports it's more a little bunny-hop.Now the engine — traced back to a Benz design, is a good worker, putting out 104kW at 4000 rpm and a claimed 310Nm of torque at 1800rpm. It is just that tad sluggish off the mark, convincing a driver the best method of dealing with the cut and thrust of traffic is to bury the right foot. This tardiness (compared with rivals) may also raise its head on the highway though the engine is far more flexible once running beyond 2000rpm.For both diesels Ssangyong suggests fuel consumption should be just under 9l/100km and that would appear a fair call.And that diesel option is one advantage the Actyon hatch has over some rivals in the compact herd. Other diesel options here include the Jeep Compass, Hyundai's Santa Fe and the forthcoming Land Rover Freelander II.Ssangyong Australia reckon customers for the Actyon will be females between 25 and 39 years old with good incomes or young couples with maybe one child. These are people who want to make a statement, says Ssangyong Australia's marketing manager Brad Larkham.The Actyon Sports should appeal across a wider spectrum, from traditional tradespeople to “white-collar” tradesmen, the likes of engineers and surveyors.There is no doubt there's been some effort put into both these machines. Where they may not always match Japanese rivals, the prices are right for the Ssangyong Actyon duo to find their own little niches. Ssangyong Actyon Sports$34,990Body: four-door utilityEngine: 2-litre, turbocharged dieselPower: 104kW @ 4000rpmTorque: 310Nm @ 1800rpmTransmission: part-time 4WD/four-speed autoDimensions (MM): 4965 (l) 1900 (w) 1755 (h) 3060 (w'base)Weight: from 1803kgTOWING: 2300kg (braked) Ssangyong Actyon$35,990Body: five-door hatchbackEngine: 2-litre turbocharged dieselPower: 104kW @ 4000rpmTorque: 310Nm @ 1800rpmTransmission: part-time 4WD/ four-speed autoDimensions (MM): 4455 (L) 1880 (W) 1745 (H) 2740 (w'base)Weight: from 1870kgTowing: 2300kg (braked)