Review: SsangYong Turismo (2013)

SsangYong Turismo (2013): At A Glance

• New prices start from £20,495, brokers can source from £20,495
• Contract hire deals from £324.85 per month
• Insurance Groups are between 27–36
• On average it achieves 95% of the official MPG figure

SsangYong Turismo (2013): What's It Like Inside?

• Boot space is 875–3146 litres

Dimensions
Length	5130 mm
Width	1915 mm
Height	1850 mm
Wheelbase	3000 mm
Full specifications

The SsangYong Turismo might not be the most accomplished all-round car on sale but it offers a lot of practicality – with some caveats – for relatively little money. It has seven seats in total, two up front, two in the middle and three at the rear, and they’re all capable of comfortably seating adults.

The layout means getting in and out of the back row is very easy - there’s no crawling through a tiny gap to reach the rearmost seats. It’s the ideal layout for families with more grown-up children, or for use as an airport taxi. Both rows slide forward and back to create the optimum blend of legroom and luggage space.

With most seven-seat people carriers, having the rear row in place means sacrificing most of the boot space. That’s not the case with the Turismo – even with the rear row of seats pushed right back there’s still 875 litres of load space, enough for plenty of luggage or a very large family shopping trip.

The load space can be extended to a colossal 3146 litres, but to make the most of it the rear rows of seats have to be completely removed, which isn’t much use if you don’t have a garage to store them in. Folding them forward does provide a useful amount of space though, which is fine for loading things like suitcases or flat packed furniture.

There are plenty of little touches to enhance practicality further too. Such as picnic tables in the seat backs and numerous bottle holders, pockets and cubbyholes, including a vast and well hidden storage bin between the front seats, ideal for hiding odds and ends out of sight.

Material quality is okay – the dashboard has a decent soft touch covering – but there are some old-fashioned plastics throughout the cabin and the grey leather upholstery would look more upmarket if it were black. Additionally the touchscreen navigation system offered by SsangYong is best avoided – it’s very confusing to operate and costs too much. You're better off with your own aftermarket system.

The other omission that might bother some buyers is the lack of sliding side doors, which usually improve access to the rear of the car massively. The doors on the Turismo are traditionally hinged, but they still open wide enough to offer reasonable access - so it’s not that much of a problem unless you're in a tight car park.

Being a value offering, standard equipment is reasonable. All cars come with seven seats and automatic air conditioning, electric front and rear windows, electric door mirrors, steering wheel mounted audio controls and roof rails. Some omissions include standard fit parking sensors floor mats, though both are offered as optional extras.

Standard equipment

Turismo S comes with automatic air conditioning, seven seats, Isofix mounting for middle two seats, 16-inch steel wheels, height adjustable drivers seats, fabric upholstery, electric front and rear windows, seat back tables, electric door mirrors, foot operated parking brake, CD player with iPod connection, Bluetooth and roof rails.

ES adds leather upholstery, privacy glass, 16-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, rear parking sensors and a full-sized spare wheel.

ES Auto models gain an automatic gearbox and cruise control.

EX gains selectable all-wheel drive with low-range, 17-inch alloy wheels, solar controlled glass, heated lower windscreen and automatic wipers.

What's the SsangYong Turismo (2013) like to drive?

• Engines range from 2.0 e-XDi to 2.2 e-XDi
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 31–42 mpg

The Turismo is only offered with one engine choice - a 2.0-litre diesel with 155PS. It’s a bit rough and ready, lacking the refinement you’d expect from a manufacturer like Ford or Volkswagen, but it has enough torque at 360Nm to move the Turismo along at a perfectly reasonable pace.

Unfortunately it’s a thirsty engine, thanks in no small part to the Turismo’s huge size and weight. Fuel economy for two-wheel drive manual models is 37.2mpg and it drops to 34.9mpg if you choose the all-wheel drive automatic model. Emissions are high and that means steep VED – even the cleaner variant falls into band J with emissions of 199g/km.

The problems don’t stop there – the steering feels slow and ponderous, while the comfort-oriented suspension means corners and roundabouts aren’t taken with any kind of dynamism – there’s plenty of body roll and little lateral support from the seats. 

Additionally, while the suspension offers a decent amount of ride comfort it doesn’t absorb potholes particularly quietly – the cabin can get quite noisy over rough surfaces and there’s plenty of wind noise at motorway speeds. Thankfully at higher speeds the engine is pretty quiet, if not entirely silent.

As standard the Turismo is sold with rear-wheel drive. That’s fine for most users but those who live out of town might be better off with the top-spec all-wheel drive automatic. It is a genuine all-wheel drive system with selectable high- and low-range and the smooth automatic gearbox has a winter setting, so it ought to cope with poor weather.

Because the Turismo is fairly heavy and has a good peak torque output it is rated to tow a braked trailer up to 2500kg. SsangYong even offers a relatively inexpensive tow bar kit as an optional extra, so in top-spec the Turismo is a good bet for those who regulary tow horse boxes or caravans, thanks to its all-wheel drive system. 

While it’s safe to say the Turismo isn’t a fantastic car to drive its mechanical components ought to stand the test of time. SsangYong is so confident in its cars that it offers them with a seven-year warranty. Very few exclusions apply to the warranty cover and it’s even available to taxi drivers.

Engine	MPG	0-62	CO2
2.0 e-XDi	37 mpg	-	199 g/km
2.0 e-XDi Automatic	35–36 mpg	-	205–212 g/km
2.2 e-XDi	38 mpg	-	189 g/km
2.2 e-XDi Automatic	35–36 mpg	-	196 g/km

Real MPG average for a SsangYong Turismo (2013)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

What have we been asked about the SsangYong Turismo (2013)?

Every day we're asked hundreds of questions from car buyers and owners through Ask Honest John. Our team of experts, including the nation's favourite motoring agony uncle - Honest John himself - answer queries and conudrums ranging from what car to buy to how to care for it as an owner. If you could do with a spot of friendly advice before buying you're next car, get in touch and we'll do what we can to help.