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In 2021, SsangYong targeted the affordable end of the market for family-sized EV Crossovers with this car, the Korando E-Motion. There was more cabin space and luggage capacity than you'd normally get from an EV of this price: and a just about acceptable decent 211 mile range too. Is it worth a look on the used market?
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History
Back in 2021, almost every month we were seeing developments in EV technology. What we weren't seeing was retail asking prices of electric vehicles falling as quickly as family motorists wanted, as the cost of creating EV technology became able to be spread across greater sales numbers. Back then, if you wanted an EV that was credibly family-sized, you'd have been doing well to find a decently specified one that was significantly under £35,000. But that's exactly what Korean maker SsangYong aimed to provide with this car, the Korando E-Motion.
SsangYong didn't electrify the entire Korando range - the thirsty 1.5-litre conventional petrol version still continued. Like that model, the E-Motion could only be had in front-driven form, which felt slightly disappointing given that the Korando model series had historically built its reputation on 4WD: provision of that extra traction would have been an additional extra selling point for the Korean maker in this segment. Still, customers in this class didn't really need it, the Korando E-Motion's task being to wrest sales away from its closely priced arch-rival, the MG ZS EV, in the fight for custom from budget-orientated family folk contemplating the switch to an EV.
SsangYong was taken over by the KGM conglomerate at the end of 2023 and this car was renamed the KGM Korando E-Motion. It's the earlier SsangYong-badged model from 2021-2023 that we look at here.
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What you get
It's not difficult to recognise this E-Motion model as the EV representative in the Korando line-up. For those who don't notice the blanked off front grille, special badging and unusual 17-inch wheels, SsangYong added blue finishing to the door mirrors and the rear bumper. And yes, you have to have it.
It's all a bit more sober inside, where the only real giveaways to this car's battery status lie with the bespoke instrument cluster and angular silvered auto gearstick. The 8-inch central infotainment screen isn't very big - and doesn't include navigation with base-spec trim - which might be an issue if you're looking for charging sites with poor 'phone reception. You do get a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. And quite a bit more rear seat room than is offered by a rival MG ZS EV (or a rival Peugeot e-2008 come to that). This SsangYong's boot space isn't much affected by the battery pack, rated at 551-litres - which compares very favourably with the 448-litre figure of that MG ZS EV. Fold the rear seats on a Korando E-Motion and the capacity figure grows to over 1,200-litres.
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What to look for
Korando models from this era have proven reliable. Unlike with a combustion-powered Korando, you won't need to look for signs of neglect from off-road excursions - the ride height of this EV version didn't allow for those. Otherwise, it's just the usual things; check the interior for child scrapes - and the wheels and rear bumpers for parking scratches. And insist on a fully stamped-up service history.
Obviously, you'll need to check the charging system. If the car won't charge, it could be a problem with your home electrics (or those at the public charge point you're using). Check the charge light to make sure that electricity really is going through the charge port. And make sure there really is charge in the socket you're using to power from - plug something else into it to see - say, your 'phone. If that charges OK, it could be that your charging cable is demanding too much power, so try another power source. Another problem could be that the circuit may have tripped due to a circuit overload. Or perhaps there could be a problem with the charge cable: this needs to be cared for properly. Repeatedly driving over it (as previous owners may conceivably have done) will damage it eventually. Make sure you do a charge-up before signing for the car you're looking at. When you do this, make sure that when you plug in to start the charge cycle you hear the charge port and the cable locking and engaging as they should; that's all part of the charger basically confirming with the car's onboard computer that everything's good to go before releasing power. But if the charging cable fails to lock as it should, then that won't happen. If there is a failure to lock, the issue could be actuator failure, caused by a blown fuse.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2021 Korando E-Motion ex VAT) SsangYong parts aren't too expensive, given that it's a low volume importer. Front brake pads are around £63 a set - rears around £25 a set. A set of front brake discs is around £113; a set of rears around £74. An air filter can be anything between £15-£60, depending on brand. A cabin filter is around £20. A shock absorber can be anything between £30-£76, depending on brand.
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On the road
One electric motor drives the Korando E-Motion, situated on the front axle. It's powered by a 61.5kWh battery with an unremarkable 211 mile driving range. Like all EVs, this one feels quite rapid - though not pointlessly so: rest to 62mph takes around 9 seconds and the top speed is 97mph. A sporty drive mode is provided for quicker acceleration, but the car works best with the more languid power delivery offered in the normal setting. All the torque is, as usual with an EV, delivered at once, so on a greasy road, if you're setting off with purpose, you need to be careful not to spin the front wheels. Refinement is impressive, even for an EV - SsangYong has worked particularly hard on wind roar.
The suspension is pretty well damped and doesn't clue you in to the heaviness of the powertrain beneath the floor, ironing off most ordinary bumps quite easily. Speed humps and larger pot holes catch it out though. As with most EVs, you can alter the level of brake energy recuperation using steering wheel paddles, the most aggressive setting of which provides virtually single pedal driving; ie, there's rarely any need to use the actual brake pedal, so severe is the off-throttle deceleration. Filling up the battery from empty takes around 11 hours from a 7kW domestic wallbox. Find a 100kW rapid charger when you're out and about and you can complete a 20-80% fill in about half an hour. A heat pump comes fitted to 'Ultimate'-spec to preserve battery range in cold conditions.
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Overall
If you've taken a look at the pricing of family-sized EVs, then taken a step back, SsangYong's Korando e-Motion aims to have your number. Back in 2021, it took the budget formula the market was already being offered with MG's ZS EV and built into that a little more interior space and boot capacity. Particularly in base-trimmed form, it looks a decently priced package, particularly as the driving range out-strips that of several better-known European rivals.
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