SsangYong Rodius (Stavic)
Encyclopedia
The SsangYong Rodius is a large MPV released in early 2004 by the Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

n automaker
Automaker
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....

 SsangYong Motor Company
SsangYong Motor Company
SsangYong Motor Company is the fourth largest South Korean automobile manufacturer. The name SsangYong means double dragons.SsangYong was acquired by India's Mahindra & Mahindra Limited in February 2011, after being named the preferred bidder in 2010 to acquire the bankruptcy-protected company...

.
the name Rodius is combination of road and zeus.
It is available in 7, 9, and 11 seat configurations (3 or 4 rows), a 5-seater version is also available in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. The seats can be folded to act as tables or folded further (double folded) to add extra cargo area. They can be turned around, encouraging conversation and can be sided forward and backward.

The Rodius is also possibly the largest MPV van in the world.

The engines are the Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...

 licenced 3.2 L 6-cylinder gasoline engine ( 162 kW & 309 newton metre ) and the 2.7 L 5-cylinder common rail
Common rail
Common rail direct fuel injection is a modern variant of direct fuel injection system for petrol and diesel engines.On diesel engines, it features a high-pressure fuel rail feeding individual solenoid valves, as opposed to low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors...

 diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...

 ( 121 kW & 342 newton metre ).

In Constitution Day 2007, the Rodius received a facelift.

Design

The car was designed by Ken Greenley, former head of the automotive design course at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...

 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. The design goal was to capture the essence of a luxury yacht. In 2005 the Rodius won the dubious distinction of being voted "the ugliest car ever made" by visitors to motoring website CarData, and is described by
Top Gear magazine
Top Gear (magazine)
Top Gear is an automobile magazine published by BBC Worldwide, and named after the BBC's Top Gear television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published monthly at a price of £3.95. The major presenters of the television series—Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson—are...

 as a car "that looks like it got bottled in a pub brawl and stitched back together by a blind man" as well as being described as "having a face like a burnt thong" by the Australian magazine Wheels
Wheels magazine
Wheels is an Australian automotive magazine published monthly by ACP Magazines. The publication is well-renowned by Australian car enthusiasts...

. In 2010, the Australian magazine liftout of the Sydney Morning Herald, Drive Life, described the car as being "so cack-handed in every aesthetic department it makes the average people-mover owner feel like they are getting about in an ultra-stylish Italian sports machine", later going on to call it a "collapsing bus shelter on wheels".

Success in Australia

In 2006, the Stavic became the best selling turbo diesel powered people mover on the Australian market. Also, in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

 and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, SsangYong Stavics are used as maxi cabs.

External links

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