Product Test - Cars - SsangYong Kyron

Product Test - Cars - SsangYong Kyron

I was wondering how the new SsangYong Kyron would perform with the boat on the back so a call to the guys at Lifestyle cars in Greenlane resulted in a test drive a few days later. When I arrived to pick the Kyron up, my first thought was it looked like pulling the 6.2m Lazercraft might be a struggle. The Kyron has the appearance of a compact SUV, but I was going to be pleasantly surprised at the performance and handling of this newest addition to the SsangYong stable. 

The demo was the 4WD with the 5 cylinder 2.7L 3rd generation common-rail power-plant. The intercooled turbo produces 121KW @ 4,000rpm and a max torque of 340Nm between 1800 and 3,250rpm. The Kyron is rated to tow up to 750kg unbraked and ~2 tonne braked. Enough of the stats,  the Kyron pulled the rig with ease.

Any decent towing test needs to include a couple of hilly bits and some reasonable corners. Our standard trip from Auckland to Whitianga has a few good challenges in amongst the spectacular scenery so it's perfect to really see how a towing vehicle performs under load.

In particular there's the Kopu-Hikawai stretch which is a long, twisting uphill grind and full marks there. The Kyron handled it easily and even though we pulled over at one stage to let a couple of cars go, there was plenty left  and I could've easily set the pace and not been a nuisance. The 5 speed tiptronic box is dead handy for the hills and corners and would be a real plus for slightly heavier loads.

The double wishbone suspension normally reserved for SUV's with twice the pricetag gives high quality handling. The dual action gas-filled shocks, stabiliser bar, and coil springs combine to give a very smooth ride. On the flat bits you wouldn't have known the boat was on behind. Too easy and a very complete package.

The Kyron has all the necessary extras for the recreational angler. Most importantly, there's plenty of room in the boot for all the toys and various kit that may be required on any fishing adventure. It's economical too - while I didn't do a detailed L/100km on the trip, we used under a tank of diesel for the round trip towing the boat which I was very happy with.

And the finish?  The Kyron has a very tidy interior and comes with probably more than you'd expect in a car like this. For smaller boats that fall within the tow ratings for the Kyron, the 2.7L auto in my view would more than fit the bill and is definitely worth a test drive.  For more on the Kyron click here.

Grant Blair July 2006