toggle title_open=”Car specifications” title_closed=”Car specifications” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Price: $39,990
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, 114kW/360Nm
Transmission: five-speed auto, front-wheel-drive
Overall fuel economy: N/A
C02 emissions: N/A
Equipment: Includes Bluetooth wireless but not ESC
Safety: Yet to be tested
Factory warranty: Three year/100,000km[/toggle]
The first Stavic was about as attractive as a powerpoint presentation on wound care, so the only way for the exterior design of the vehicle was up. Enter the second-generation body of the 2013 model; a huge improvement as it no longer frightens the horses. However there is still something a little heavy-handed about the design. The Stavic might no longer be the ugly duckling of the automotive sector, but it also yet to achieve graceful-swan status.
Not the target market will give a hoot. The precocious breeders of the nation will be more concerned about the reduced seat count. The first Stavic had pews for nine, and could even be bought in an 11-seat configuration. The latest seats eight, admittedly with more space and comfort that before, but this could be little consolation if the patter of little feet in the family has assumed the thunder of a stampede.
Fold the second- and third-row seats away and there’s space for a whopping 1320 litres of luggage in the Stavic. It also can tow up to 2000kg thanks to its robust Mercedes-designed automatic gearbox and sturdy separate ladder chassis construction. Yet while the SsangYong is capable of the hard yakka expected of a light commercial vehicle, it doesn’t drive like a van.
The new Stavic does a good impression of SsangYong’s accomplished Korando compact-SUV when you’re at the wheel. Some of this is due to the two vehicles sharing the same frugal 2.0litre diesel powertrain, and the rest is down to the progress the second Stavic displays in terms of sharper steering geometry and improved suspension set-up. So if you can live with the still questionable looks, and without stability control, you won’t find a more versatile vehicle at this price.
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Good features
Best number of seats-per-buck on the new car market
Not so good
Not as many of those seats as before
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[box type=”tick” size=”large” style=”rounded”]Rating 7/10[/box]