All posts by Macfivenews

Motoring and travel journalist, opinionated gob on a stick
Pick-up/4x4, SsangYong

Workhorse with a touch of class

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SsangYong Musso

By Bill McCarthy

It says something about the road presence of a vehicle when someone sees you drive into a car park and then follows you to question you about it. The latest incarnation of SsangYong’s Musso had exactly that effect.

The Musso is not exactly a newcomer in the pick-up sector, which are very much in vogue as a lifestyle vehicle as well as doing what they were originally designed for – to be a workhorse.

But now, particularly in the double cab format of this range-topping model, they offer car like driving manners, high-levels of comfort for five and reasonable running costs.

The high-torque engine also means towing capability is equally impressive with a 3.5 tonne capacity. It has a one tonne payload and the the cargo bay is designed to accept a standard sized pallet, so commercially it ticks those boxes.

The rear can feature a covered top, or in this case, a roller which encases the payload bay.

This latest model now offers more power and improved economy. The four trim level includes EX, Rebel and Saracen (all SWB) and Rhino (LWB)

The SWB accommodates includes load-liner and tie-down hooks, while the LWB has the longest and largest load area in the UK market

It also boasts the highest combined total load capacity for any pick-up on sale in the UK.

If you want to attract the lifestyle set, it needs to look good and it does, with its imposing grille and headlights, daytime running lights, and striking alloy wheels, it looks the part

The interior also looks good, is well equipped and has high levels of comfort including napa leather upholstery on this model.

Premium touches also include heated steering wheel, and electrically operated, heated and ventilated front seats and the best rear seat legroom in the pick-up segment.

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This model also offers auto lights and climate control, rain sensing wipers, heated electrically operated front seats and, critically, a reversing camera, a godsend with a vehicle of this size.

A colour touchscreen the centrepiece and controls navigation, sound system and connectivity, via Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto. It also displays the TomTom navigation and reversing camera where available.

The engine is also impressive, the 2.2 litre diesel is also available in the Rexton and now has an output of 202PS and plenty of torque to go with it – 400Nm in fact – which gives excellent pulling power across the range. With a claimed mpg of approach just over 31mpg, it is reasonable on fuel.

Mated to a six speed auto box it displayed excellent car-like road manners thanks to the coil spring rears suspension normally found on cars. It feels refined with little noise intrusion into the cabin, but can feel unsettled if taking a corner too quickly.

It has proven off-road capability and can tackle all but the roughest of rough stuff, but with a choice of two wheel and high and low ratio all wheel drive, it should be more than capable in most off-road  situations.

It’s an impressive motor that’s for sure and perhaps the most tempting aspect, apart from the five-year, 100,000 mile warranty is the price.

The base EX starts at just under £30k inclusive of VAT. Difficult to beat.

Factfile

SsangYong Musso Saracen 4WD auto 

Price: £38,643 including VAT

Mechanical: 202PS, 2,157cc, four cylinder diesel engine driving all wheels via 6-speed auto gearbox

Max Speed: 116mph

Max payload: 1,050kg

Trailer capacity: 3,500kg

Combined MPG: 31.5

C02 emissions: 236g/km

Warranty: 5yrs/unlimited miles

Motoring

Sorento joins premium leaders

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Kia Sorento

By Bill McCarthy

NOT so very long ago, the idea of paying more than £50,000 for a Kia would have seemed, well, fanciful. That is no longer the case, with the latest offering of the stylish, super-practical Sorento, seeming a bit of a snip when compared to the opposition.

Just like its stablemate Hyundai, which recently introduced their upmarket brand Genesis, Kia has gone upmarket.

It’s the fourth generation Sorento since 2002 and for the first time offers a plug-in hybrid powertrain alongside the 2.2 litre diesel and1.6 full hybrid and is available with three spec levels – ‘2′, ‘3′ and this test flagship ‘4′ model.

So what do you get for a price tag approaching £55k? A whole lot is the answer with this seven-seater, four-wheel drive SUV that scores close to a perfect 10 on the fashion catwalk. It also features the Kia seven year warranty.

For a multi-purpose vehicle, it’s design is more than eye-catching with large black grille flanked by smart headlight cluster, wing-shaped air curtains and stylish 19-inch alloy wheels. Longer taller and wider than its predecessor, it has an imposing road presence.

The plug-in hybrid technology mates a 1.6 petrol engine with an electric motor and 13.8 kWh battery to produce 261bhp.

It is also capable of up to 35 miles on battery power alone, increasing to 43 miles in city driving. The nominal mpg is 176.6 mpg and with emissions of 38 g/km, it is cheap to run.

Mated with a six-speed auto box, it has plenty of power and can hit 60mph in a very respectable 8.4 seconds, making it quick away from the traffic lights, but also excellent for overtaking on the motorway.

Should the going get tough, the Terrain Mode. can be deployed to select ‘Mud’, ‘Snow’ and ‘Sand’ modes. The system automatically optimises the drivetrain to best suit each scenario, adjusting engine torque output and distribution.

Otherwise, for normal driving the car is composed and comfortable as you would expect in a large SUV.

The interior has a premium feel as you would expect with a car of this price and some clever innovations.

It features high-quality soft-touch finish, using metal and natural materials and soothing ambient lighting.

There is a digital cockpit fitted as standard on all models, while a 10.25-inch touchscreen is fitted on ‘3′ and ‘4′ models, which controls navigation, infotainment and smartphone connectivity.

This range-topping 4 model also features an ear-splitting, (if your turn it up) 12-speaker BOSE premium sound system with all the extra woofer and tweeter bits and pieces.

The infotainment system also allows Bluetooth smartphone pairing for two phones concurrently.

There is also a host of kit on this model including powered tailgate, roof bars, camera, full length sunroof, heated and cooled powered seats, ambient lighting and a clever safety innovation seen in the GENESIS where the two main binnacle dials turn into cameras when the indicators are activated.

Like many upmarket models if features a rotary get selector while switchgear and general controls feel sturdy and are logically placed.

It’s a hugely practical vehicle with seven seats as standard, which split, fold or can be removed for maximum stowage. The middle row has slide, recline and 60:40 folding functionality, while the third row split 50/50. The rearmost pair are pretty substantial as well, so longer journeys can be completed with relative comfort.

It is jam packed with safety kit including various lane departure, collision and blind spot warnings, while the full set of airbags includes for the first time a centre airbag for extra driver protection.

Factfile

Kia Sorento ‘4′ 1.6 PHEV T-GDi Auto AWD

Price: £54,695

Mechanical:261hp, 1,598hp petrol engine and electric motor driving fall wheels via auto gearbox

Max Speed: 119mph

0-62mph: 8.7 seconds

Combined MPG: 176 miles

Insurance Group:31

C02 emissions: 38g/km

Warranty: 7yrs/100,000 miles