SSANGYONG Korando 1997-2007 Photos, engines & full specs

Sold under the Daewoo brand in some countries, such as the U.K., the Korando was an inexpensive off-road vehicle built in Korea.

The name Korando, believe-it or not, came from "Korean can do" and reflected the manufacturer's confidence in that vehicle. Imagine that it was covered by three years, 60.000 miles (97.000 km) warranty with free service, free pick-up and delivery, and free towing if anything went south on the road.

The exterior design was, to say at least, not the most inspired part of the vehicle. It showed a narrow engine compartment and flared wheel arches. Its vertical slats and round headlights resembled the old Jeeps. And there were the huge turn signals installed between the wrap-around plastic bumper and the front fenders. There was the same theme with flared arches in the rear, but not so obvious as in the front. The spare wheel was mounted on the tailgate.

Inside, it was unclear if the manufacturer addressed the car to ordinary people or to those who wished for an up-market vehicle, but they couldn't afford one. Some wood trims on the center console enhanced the look for the upper trim levels, while silver plastic panels tried hard to look like aluminum for the other versions. There was plenty of room for the front occupants and limited for the rear ones. As for the trunk, you'd better forget it.

Under the hood, SsangYong installed engines licensed from Mercedes-Benz. There was a four-pot 2.3-liter unit for the entry-level than a 3.2-liter V6 for the top version. One of the best versions was the inline-five, 2.9-liter engine, which was also produced under license from the same German carmaker.