THE new SsangYong Korando SUV crossover, Rexton 4x4 and Turismo MPV have all received a significant power boost for 2016 together with improved economy and reduced CO2 emissions, and are now available to order with the new 16 registration plates due to arrive in March.

The improvements to the Korean motors are the result of a major upgrade to the powertrain which now employs a new 2.2-litre Euro 6 diesel engine.

The newly developed e-XDi220 diesel engine meets the demand for a more powerful performance and lower CO2 emissions at the same time.

Maximum power is increased to 178bhp and torque to 400Nm - up by 19.4 per cent and 11 per cent respectively over the previous 2.0-litre engine fitted to the Korando.

Big strides have also been made with CO2emissions which have been reduced to 139g/km, down from 147g/km on the previous two-wheel drive, manual transmission Korando, while fuel economy is improved and now up to 53.3mpg for the 2-wheel drive manual compared with 47.1mpg on the model it replaces.

There are further improvements inside with an upgraded infotainment system on the EX and ELX models.

The EX features a seven-in high-resolution touch screen with audio streaming from smart devices and a link to the rear view camera, while the top of the range ELX also benefits from a TomTom navigation system.

The Rexton is SsangYong's flagship sport utility vehicle and is greatly enhanced for 2016 with the addition of an upgraded Euro 6 compliant powertrain and in addition to the new 2.2-litre diesel engine, the Rexton also gets the choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a new seven-speed automatic box sourced from Mercedes-Benz.

The SsangYong Turismo MPV, at over five metres long and with a three-metre wheelbase, is the biggest people carrier around and is also benefitting from the new powertrains.