2007 SsangYong Actyon A200S from Hong Kong - Comments

Nothing at the moment.

Background:-

OK, here's the story, I was drawn to the look when I saw it from a magazine, and went for a test drive and bought one.

Looks:-

Many would say it is unbelievably ugly, but I am quite happy to say that I like the look of the car; it looks apart from any ordinary cars you see on the road, and the front looks great.

Interior:-

The dealer here offered leather upgrades for HKD4000 (app. USD500), which is a great deal given the quality, though the fit and finish is obviously not the best. Interestingly, it reminds me of the RX450h? However I must say the rear is, though tall, the leg room is not fantastic - expect just a tiny bit more than a BMW 3 series.

Performance:-

It's got enough power, and being a diesel it has great low down torque - though it does suffer from turbo lag on first gear under hard acceleration (found out on the test drive). But that didn't deter me, because being a pickup truck you don't expect it to outrun a Ferrari - though I feel that it is on par with my Range Rover 4.0.

Gearbox:-

A tad old fashioned - being 4 gears and no down slope locking like my BMW 3. I imagine that many would prefer a 5 or even 6 speeder, but is it necessary to have such a high number of gears? As long as the car has good torque band, even a 3 speed gear box is enough. This is the point I don't really understand; why people boast about 5 or 6 speed gearbox - it might be smoother, but definitely not necessary on this car, but may be so in a 1.5 litre car?

Would I recommend one?

Two way answer...

Yes, if you want a nice car with good fuel economy, as well as owning one or two more cars, since it is not practical enough to be a day to day car (too big!!)

No, you can buy a Honda Stepwagon for that money, but do you really like that ugly Stepwagon or a cliche and boring Rav-4???

The nasty interior makes me sick. All you can see is a bunch of flimsy plastic inside. The 2.0 XDi is noisy!

First of all, for a diesel engine, it is exceptionally quiet, though it may not have the fantastic sound of the 3.6 TDV8 of the Range Rover, but it certainly is far from noisy.

Secondly, the interior may be nasty, but with the leather upgrade it is certainly a lot better than many cars of its class.

I would much rather have a cliched rav4, it might be as boring as nap time at a nursing home, but at least it's made properly and won't break down. also the styling wont make your eyes bleed unlike the Ssang Yong.

I also have an actyon A230 m/t which is powered by a 2.3L gasoline engine. They say that the engine is manufactured by Mercedes Benz. I saw it myself and surprisingly found that it has the same engine as the Mercedes Benz E230 year model 1998-1999.

The Actyon is very powerful compared to other compact SUVs. The ride is OK. Its very sporty and luxurious. seats 5 adults in comfort. The gas consumption is about 8-9km/L on city driving, on hi-ways 10-11km/L. I tried it on NLEX, I was running around 160kmh! no sweat! outruns most SUVs in the freeway.

The only problem is the brand of the car, Ssangyong is not that famous here in the Philippines. They have low marketing strategies. they should have advertisements on televisions. And they don't bring their 'top of the line' units here. they still have to work out their 'name' here in the Philippines. Other people think that ssangyong is not a good car, but it is still a good brand carrying the name of Mercedes Benz. And still not sure if the Re-Sell value will still be resonable after a few years...

For those who want to experience Sport, luxury, and economy, this is the best choice.

I got mine for only P999,000..very reasonable price.

Ssangyong Actyon- Mercedes Benz inspired lifestyle...

We've just gone for a diesel 2008 model. We considered and test drove a number of vehicles in different classes too. The thing about the Actyon is that it's different.

Sure, some folks just don't like the styling, it is subjective of course and everyone is entitled to their opinion. Anyway, talk is cheap. We went for the full leather too, and behind the wheel is just great. It's high-up, not noisy at all once the auto has moved into 2nd and in the back, well, it is pleasant, spacious, comfortable and handles bumpy roads with ease.

The deciding factor was the engine and overall package, we're not looking to change our car every few years and we were pretty cool about the looks given that it's different. Not everyone will want one, and that's cool because there's very few on the road.

For thos RAV4 drivers, or whatever the common SUV preference is these days, good for you! You're happy in yours, and we're happy in ours, nothing to debate!

I just ordered a blue Actyon diesel from the dealership. Its true that its very different from the other options in the market. It is a car to keep. If you intend to get one and sell itlater --- get a Toyota or a Honda. The designs that Ssangyong had put out are different --- ugly to some, appealing to others. I cannot accept the Stavic but it put a smile on my face. The Actyon's eagle eyes and raised car-like body are trendsetting to say the least. Couple this with a tried and tested Mercedes Benz engine, and sunroof --- bring out the checkbook. I now look forward to driving my new X6 look-alike for 1/5 of the cost. Great buy!

My wife is currently waiting for her marine blue Actyon which is expected to arrive end of this month or 1st week of October.It's a newer version with 6-speed dual transmission (Tiptronic and Automatic selection) In tiptronic drive, there is an option to change gears via steering control switches or on the trans lever itself. She was immediately attracted to it when she saw it in Trinoma Mall and been asking me about it ever since...hehehe. She liked the unique design which will make it exclusive and the interior which is really decent looking.