Mahindra and Mahindra To Launch Korando In India
Mahindra and Mahindra, which has acquired a significant stake in the ailing South Korean automobile company Ssang Yong, will bring Korando, the most stunning product of the Korean automaker to the Indian auto market.
Korando Features
Korando is the first monocoque vehicle from Ssang Yong’s stable. The fourth generation Korando C, which will arrive in India sometime in 2012, is equipped with appealing specifications, suitable for Indian roads. The SUV owes its styling to Italdesign, the renowned styling firm from Italy. Although Korando lacks the aggressive styling of standard sport utility vehicles, it has a pretty interior. The dashboard and accessories are simple.
The mid sized SUV offers generous leg space, especially at the back. It has ample headroom for tall passengers. However, Korando offer limited luggage space of 486 liters.
The exact specs of the Korando models in India are unclear. Nonetheless, the SUV will carry most of the features of the new Korando C that has been shipped recently to west European countries. Korando C is equipped with a 1,998cc, 2-liter turbo diesel engine, which generates 175Bhp peak power at 4000rpm and 360Nm of maximum torque at 2000 to 3000rpm. At high speeds, the five-seater SUV can become quite noisy.
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However, the soundproof cabin keeps the noise away from the passengers’ ears. Uneven power delivery is a serious drawback of the upcoming Korando. Ssang Yong will probably include a six speed manual transmission in the Indian variants of Korando.
Along with ventilated discs on the front and solid discs integrated in the rear wheels, Korando will display several advanced safety features including Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Active Rollover Protection (ARP) and Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA).
The suspension system of the car will feature MacPherson Strut, anti-roll stabilizer bar and gas filled shock absorbers. Customers could opt for Korando variants with 16-inch, 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels.
It is unclear whether Korando will arrive in India with the usual Ssang Yong branding or whether it will carry the Mahindra tag. Currently Korando C is available in Spain and Belgium.
Expected Price of Korando
The price of the basic variant will probably start from Rs15 lac.
