• Good head and legroom for all occupants
• Boot is shallow
• Seats aren’t that clever or flexible

The Korando’s big selling point has always been lots of metal for the money, and so this is a generously sized car with more than acceptable interior dimensions. A six-foot adult can comfortably sit behind another, with plenty of leg and head-room.

The front seats are raised enough to allow feet to be slid under them, too, and the rear bench is fairly flat making carrying three passengers more comfortable than in some rivals. Big windows also help rear passenger comfort – they provide lots of airflow, and a great view out, minimising car sickness.

There’s lots of room up front too, though storage isn’t especially impressive. Though we only drove an automatic model, the cupholders looked as though they’d foul the gearchange of a manual equivalent, and the glovebox and central storage bin are only average in size.

Boot space

The Korando’s 511-litre boot looks impressive on paper, but open up the tailgate (electrically operated on top-spec Ultimate models) and you might be surprised at how shallow the space actually is. That’s mainly due to the adjustable boot floor – lower it, and you’ll liberate a far more useful space. The floor can also be positioned upright and used as a boot divider – useful for preventing smaller items from rolling around.

However, with the boot floor in its lowest position there’s a large load sill to lift items over, and when the rear seats are lowered there’s a large hump in the load floor. The rear seats also aren’t especially clever – doing without the sliding, reclining or individual folding that you get in a Skoda Karoq.

SsangYong Korando safety

The SsangYong gained a full-five-star rating by Euro NCAP – a big leap for its maker, as the previous model wasn’t assessed. Safety equipment has taken a leap forward on this model, with lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and six airbags all available.

Watch: SsangYong Korando SUV Euro NCAP crash test video