2017 Ssangyong Stavic Reviews

It was compared in appearance with the north end of a south-bound camel and regularly won world's ugliest car “accolades”. That was the first rendition of SsangYong's Stavic people mover.But the thing went pretty well thanks to the largely Mercedes-Benz underpinnings and technical input. There was even an all-wheel-drive version for safety in icy climes. Now version two has surfaced and it's the opposite of number one.Though constrained style-wise by its two box, people mover body, the new Stavic is easy on the eye. It's new from the wheels up and looks more compact than the earlier model.The first model's bee swallowing face has morphed into something more acceptably main stream with links to the new SsangYong Actyon ute. The side view is in the current highlight-line idiom and the rear end has a practical, neat appearance. Only a vestige of the big arcing D pillar from the first version remains and it's hardly noticeable.INSIDEInside is all new too, neat and tidy with plenty of equipment. The layout's easy to use though the pre-production test car's instrument layout will change when the production versions arrive soon. And guess what?PRICEThe price is $29,990 drive away for a full size, Korean manufactured, genuine seven-seater people mover with a five-speed auto transmission, torquey 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine and generous levels of equipment. That price undercuts other players in the segment by sometimes tens of thousands of dollars.Hyundai's Imax diesel is $39,990, Kia's Grand Carnival 2.2-litre diesel starts at $44,990, Toyota's 2.4-litre petrol Tarago starts at $48,990 in base model form and on it goes. Our “first drive” of the new Stavic shows SsangYong's new owners have listened and learned adopting a completely new approach - and design.PURPOSE BUILTThe vehicle doesn't move in any new direction with technology or style but is a good thing for its intended purpose.Access is easy through all four doors which open wide to a reasonably low floor height and generous sized seats. The front two rows are individual paired buckets while the fully removable third row is a bench seat. The middle and third rows slide fore/aft on long runners.There's a decent size load space down the back and a full size spare under the floor. Drive goes to the rear wheels through a five speed auto transmission with sequential shift mode.ENGINEPower comes from the same 2.0-litre turbo diesel as Actyon ute, tweaked for more power and torque rated at 115kW/360Nm. It makes light work of moving the fairly hefty 2.0-tonne Stavic, even with the aircon on and a few passengers aboard. Performance is not an issue. It's a clean Euro 5 engine capable of using as little as 7.8-litres/100km.COMFORTRide quality is acceptable offering a reasonable compromise between comfort and handling though you wouldn't really punt a vehicle such as this hard, now would you?It rolls on 16-inch alloys and has a generous level of features that include dual zone climate control, cruise, power windows, privacy glass, heated side mirrors, Bluetooth connectivity, multi media connections, remote keyless entry, foot operated parking brake, numerous storage compartments, serviceable cloth upholstery.SAFETYThe safety rating has yet to be determined but new Stavic has stability control, front and side air bags and active rollover prevention in the safety arsenal. Driver assistance kit includes rear park assist and a brake assist system.VERDICTFinally an affordable vehicle for all the breeders out there. And a good one too - to look at and drive. Would be cheap to run as well leaving more of the family budget for food and other expenses associated with the Brady Bunch. Ideal vehicle for hotels, car rentals, countless people moving applications.SsangYong StavicPrice: from $29,990Engine: 2.0-litre turbo diesel 4-clyinder, 115kW/360NmTransmission: 5-speed autoThirst: 7.8-litres/100km

It's a funny name for a turbo diesel people mover (or anything for that matter) but the newcomer from Ssangyong has plenty of positives to make the name seem insignificant.How's this for starters?Stavic's 2.7-litre, five cylinder engine and five speed automatic transmission are pretty well the same as in a Mercedes-Benz ML 4WD and the suspension has been tweaked by none other than Lotus. Two other significant points are Stavic's rear wheel drive and all wheel drive availability and for really, really big families, up to eleven seat capacity though this spec isn't certain for Australia.Stavic was launched a few months ago in Korea. Comparable with Chrysler's Voyager for size, Stavic weighs in at around 2.1 tonnes. This bulk is offset by the torquey turbo diesel engine that also delivers surprisingly good fuel economy averaging around 10.0 litres/100km.The diesel engine has a high pressure common rail injection system for optimum economy, low emissions and strong throttle response.A 3.2-litre straight six cylinder petrol version in rear and all wheel drive is produced and will arrive later in the year.The all wheel drive version is almost Robinson Crusoe here except for an all wheel drive Chrysler Voyager that costs a bomb. The Stavic all wheel drive is a much tougher customer, capable of mixing it with off road SUVs in a wide range of driving conditions. The torque-on-demand all wheel drive can be locked in low range 4WD for limited traction conditions.Ground clearance is adequate and the vehicle seems well protected underneath. Ride is controlled by a double wishbone system up front and 10 links at the rear.Stavic is built on a "fusion" chassis using elements from various Ssangyong products. Many components are specified to commercial vehicle standard for durability and strength though Stavic was conceived and built as a passenger vehicle.ABS, air bags, dual air conditioning, tiptronic automatic transmission, cruise control and a brace of other goodies including power operated ancillaries are part of the package.Numerous seating options span everything from seven arm chairs with pivoting centre row seats through to three rows of three in the back and two up front making eleven. Seven seats is standard.An eleven seat combo would be tight and leaves minimal luggage room however it would be extremely useful for tour or hotel operators and with a trailer on the back, other commercial applications.On an extensive test of the Stavic late last year in New Zealand a couple of points rang home – build quality is impressive and the interior is as good as anything from Japan in terms of look, fit and finish.On the road, Stavic feels stable and as responsive as a vehicle such as this can. It's good to drive and rolls along with minimum fuss or commotion. We drove one with eight adults aboard and it made little difference to performance or ride.The fully equipped version on test featured a sunroof, automatic headlight control, park assist and power front seats with heating among its inventory.Some might find Stavic's lines jarring but the same has been said of other brands that have gone on to achieve stronger sales than previous better regarded models.Dealership numbers are on the increase with 48 currently operating and up to 75 expected by the end of the year. A spare parts inventory contains most "fast moving" items with non-stocked parts air-freighted in.Stavic in seven and nine seat versions will arrive here by the end of February and will sell for between $35,000 and $45,000 depending on the model. It brings Ssangyong's local lineup to four vehicles with more following this year.