SsangYong Rodius

SsangYong Rodius
SsangYong Rodius (second generation)
Overview
Manufacturer	SsangYong Motor Company
Also called	SsangYong Stavic Micro Stavic (Sri Lanka) Ssangyong Korando Turismo (South Korea)
Production	2004–present
Body and chassis
Class	Minivan
Body style	5-door minivan
Chronology
Predecessor	Ssangyong Istana

The SsangYong Rodius (sold in some regions as the Stavic) is a minivan released in late 2004 by the Korean automaker SsangYong Motor Company. Rodius is an inaccurate portmanteau of the words road and Zeus, which is intended to mean "Lord of the Road."^[1] It is available in 7, 9 and 11 seat configurations (3 or 4 rows), a 5-seater version is also available in Hong Kong.^[2] The seats can be folded to act as tables or folded further (double folded) to add extra cargo area. They can be turned around, encouraging conversation and can be sided forward and backward.^[3]

First generation (2004–2013)

First generation

First generation

The engines are the Mercedes-Benz licensed 3.2 L 6-cylinder gasoline engine ( 162 kW (217 hp) & 309 N·m (228 lb·ft) ) and the 2.7 L 5-cylinder common rail diesel engine ( 121 kW (162 hp) & 342 N·m (252 lb·ft) ).

The car was designed by Ken Greenley,^[4] former head of the automotive design course at the Royal College of Art in London. The design goal was to capture the essence of a luxury yacht.

In August 2008, the Rodius received a facelift.^[5]

Afterwards, because of poor popularity, the Rodius was discontinued in Europe without a direct successor on December 31, 2011. However, on July 2, 2012, the Rodius returned with the new name Rodius Euro which comes with the e-XDi200 diesel engine that produces 155PS of power, available in either a 6-speed MT or an E-Tronic Benz 5-speed AT.^[6]

In the mass media, the vehicle received some negative reviews of its aesthetics.^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

Second generation (2013–present)

Second generation

Second generation

The second generation Rodius, called Korando Turismo in South Korea, was revealed in February 5, 2013 and it will first shown at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show with sales commercing soon after. The new model comes with a nine-, ten- or eleven-seat configuration and can offer up to 3,240 liters of cargo volume. Powering the new Rodius/Korando Turismo is the 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine connected to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed Mercedes-Benz-sourced automatic transmission.^[12]

In March 2014, the second generation Stavic was awarded “2014 Car of the Year – Best MPV Design” by Grand Prix, the most famous automotive magazine in Thailand, at the 35th Bangkok International Motor Show 2014.^[13]

In October 2014, Top Gear magazine placed the Rodius Turismo on its list of "The worst cars you can buy right now."^[14]

References

1. Kim, Hye-won (2012-08-10). "[Brand story] 한국GM & 르노삼성 & 쌍용" [Brand story. GM Korea, Renault Samsung and SsangYong] (in Korean). Theiauto.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-23. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
2. "Stavic Diesel 5-seater Van – SsangYong Hong Kong". Ssangyongmotor.com.hk. Retrieved 2011-08-07.
3. "Ssangyong Motors" (in Korean). Smotor.com. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
4. "SsangYong Rodius Review". Carpages.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
5. "SsangYong Rodius | Auto Express News | News". Auto Express. 2007-08-05. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
6. "쌍용차, 로디우스 유로 출시". Megaauto. 2012-07-02.
7. "Rodius is odious to drivers | The Sun |News". The Sun. 2005-10-12. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
8. "The 13 Worst Cars of the Last 20 Years". Top Gear magazine. 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2014-10-12.
9. "What is the point of the X6?". Autocar. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
10. "Ugly shtick". News.drive.com.au. 2010-06-04. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
11. http://www.uglycars.co.uk/uglycar.asp?ref=71
12. "2014 SsangYong Korando Turismo aka new Rodius officially revealed [video]". WorldCarFans. 2013-02-07.
13. http://www.smotor.com/en/med_cen/news/1240213_13941.html
14. "The Worst Cars You Can Buy Right Now". Top Gear magazine. 2014-10-09. Retrieved 2014-10-12.

External links

• SsangYong Rodius Official Site