Ssangyong Rodius Range
If you could measure world-weary cynicism, press day at the Geneva Motor Show would probably represent a global hot spot. Legions of seen-it-all, jaded hacks troop from one stand to another complaining about the quality of the coffee, dismissing the latest Italian supercar with a derisory snort and barging past the Swiss Prime Minister in a bid to file copy and hit the bar. Despite this, there was one stand which brought even the most experienced hacks to a gaping standstill. SsangYong didnt have the widest Range of cars, the most dazzling light show or the shortest skirts on the hostesses.
It topped the lot with a solitary Rodius, an MPV that, to put it politely, is certainly intriguing to behold.
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The sloping roofline would look pretty rakish were it not for the fact that theres an unusual section of glasshouse tacked on top of it, looking almost like a stylistic afterthought when the manufacturers mentioned to the stylist that there wasnt adequate luggage space. Walk round to the rear and the view is even more bizarre, looking for all the world as if the stylist has contrived a way of adding the rear hatch of a 4x4 to the bootlid of a saloon car. The current trend for high-mounted brake lights is wilfully ignored while the detailing of the rear glasshouse does little to match the rest of the car. Its quite astonishing and looks so wrong in so many regards that it does something that very few MPVs can do.
It brings a smile to your face and impels you to find out more about this curious vehicle.
"The Rodius represents a striking break with MPV norms while actually taking MPV strengths to an altogether higher level," commented Tom Martin, the Marketing Director of SYUK Cars. "As the ultimate family car, or a corporate people carrier of top class quality and comfort, there is nothing else to touch it for the money." Talking of money, the entry-level Rodius retails at less than £19,000 which, in terms of metal for your money, is the most screaming deal since Andre Poisson thought hed bought the Eiffel Tower from Count Victor Lustig.
The man behind the Rodius styling is none other than Ken Greenley, former head of the automotive design course at the Royal College of Art in London. This is a gentleman whose CV includes cars such as the Bentley ContinentalR, Bentley Azure and the Aston Martin Virage. Quite what happens when Ken receives a commission from SsangYong is open to conjecture, but he also penned the Musso, another of their back catalogue with love it or hate it lines. One design touch that is undoubtedly rather deft is the way that the lights and some of the other detailing have been supersized to disguise the bulk of the Rodius.
At 5125mm long and 1915mm wide, this is a car that comprehensively dwarfs a Range Rover. "The Rodius represents a striking break with MPV norms while actually taking MPV strengths to an altogether higher level," commented Tom Martin, the Marketing Director of SYUK Cars. "As the ultimate family car, or a corporate people carrier of top class quality and comfort, there is nothing else to touch it for the money." Talking of money, the entry-level Rodius retails at less than £19,000 which, in terms of metal for your money, is the most screaming deal since Andre Poisson thought hed bought the Eiffel Tower from Count Victor Lustig. Look beyond the unconventional lines and theres a utility vehicle thats virtually unbeatable. To give some idea of the amount of space inside a Rodius, in some markets its sold in an 11-seat guise! Given that us Brits are some of the largest people on earth, our Rodii are configured in a seven seat format, with two seats up front, a pair of pews in the middle and a triple bench seat at the back. As would be expected, theres actually a fair amount of legroom even in the back.
Fold the rear bench down and although it doesnt fold flat into the floor like a Vauxhall Zafira, you probably wont mind as there looks to be more luggage space than in the cargo hold of a Hercules. The middle seats can be spun round to face the rearmost seats for a more sociable set up but its very easy to bunch the carpet up and make a real pigs ear of things. One for experienced users only. Naturally, youll need a fair amount of muscle to haul a vehicle this big about and at first glance 163bhp doesnt seem a whole hill of beans.
You can buy a Peugeot 206 with more grunt than that. What hope does 163bhp have of moving this mountain of metal? In truth, it does a pretty reasonable job. That power output is generated by a common-rail 2.7-litre diesel engine of Mercedes origin and generates 252 ft/lbs of torque which is a good deal more than a 3.
0 BMW X5. Thus equipped, the Rodius will get to 60mph in around 13 seconds and run out of go at 104mph. Fuel consumption is also relatively good for such a sizeable vehicle, the 28.5mpg combined figure being better than youd expect had you invested your money in a 2.
3-litre Ford Galaxy instead. One figure thats somewhat less than stellar is the 257g/km of carbon dioxide emitted per kilometre, something that may affect the buying decision of companies looking for some major league airport shuttles. SsangYong offer a pair of trim levels, both mated to a five-speed T-tronic automatic gearbox, again of Mercedes provenance. The first is the £18,999 S auto which still includes safety functions such as ESP stability control, twin airbags, anti lock brakes and three-point seatbelts on every seat.
If this is still well under your allotted budget, the SE auto retails at £21,999 and includes leather seats, wider tyres, privacy glass and a sunroof. I think Id stay with the S and feel smug about the value proposition. The styling is obviously going to be a major impediment to most right-thinking people. Theres no getting away from the fact that the Rodius is quite shockingly ugly.
If you can forgive the jarring lines, theres a very creditable MPV vehicle lurking beneath. Drive a Rodius and youll soon find yourself chuckling at the reactions of other drivers and pedestrians. You could be at the wheel of a Lamborghini and attract less attention. Lifes rarely dull with a Rodius.
Facts At A Glance
CAR: SsangYong Rodius Range
PRICES: £18,999-£21,999 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 12 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 267g/km
PERFORMANCE: Top Speed: 104mph / 0-60mph 13s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 28.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, ABS, ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 5125/1915/1820mm
