Ssangyong Stavic: second-gen seven-seater for $29,990 driveaway

The rear-wheel-drive Ssangyong Stavic costs $5500 less than the diesel-powered Holden Captiva 7 SUV, which has five permanent seats and two temporary seats in the rear, and $9000 less than the entry-level Kia Grand Carnival, which is technically an eight-seater but features only a lap seatbelt in the second-row middle position.

Despite being 457mm longer, 66mm wider and weighing 182kg more than the Captiva 7, the 114kW/360Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, five-speed automatic Ssangyong Stavic returns a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 7.8 litres per 100 kilometres – just 0.2L/100km behind the Holden.

Cloth seats and a rear seating row that can be removed to create more space join cruise control, automatic headlights, dual-zone air conditioning, heated mirrors, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, and 16-inch alloy wheels as standard equipment.

Remote keyless entry and a full-size spare wheel, along with electronic stability control, active roll over protection, and front and side airbags, also feature.

A luxury version of the Korean-made Stavic will join the base model in the coming months, which adds leather seats and an electric driver’s seat, rain-sensing wipers, roof racks, manual headlight levelling system, a rear foglight and 17-inch alloy wheels.

The Stavic is covered by Ssangyong’s three-year/100,000km warranty and three-year 24-hour roadside assist.

The new, sharper looking Ssangyong Stavic was revealed earlier in the year, as the model attempts to shake the “world’s ugliest car” tag often attached to the first-generation MPV.

An all-new version of Australia's cheapest seven-seater, the mid-$20,000s Kia Rondo, launches in Australia tomorrow.

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