Will Anyone Spend $17,000 on a Florida-Titled 1998 Ssangyong Korando?

If you’re good at debate, the second-generation Ssangyong Korando can get you into several brand-specific events. It has genuine Jeep roots, so you might be able to talk your way into the annual Easter Jeep Safari. It also has Mercedes-Benz DNA, so you could park it next to a G-Wagen at a German-only show. The Korando wasn’t sold new in the United States, but a 1998 model has unexpectedly come up for sale in Tampa, Florida.

Ssangyong traces its roots to a South Korean company called Shinjin Motors which built Jeep CJs for the local market through a partnership with AMC. The design evolved over time, so the original Korando released in 1983 looked a little bit like the offspring of a CJ-7 and a Suzuki Samurai.

The first-generation Korando remained in production until 1996, and its successor made its debut that same year with styling best described as a little Jeep-like. It kept the round headlights and the tall hood, added plastic bumpers, and was available with either a fixed roof or a removable top. Body-on-frame construction made it fairly sturdy. Ssangyong sold the Korando (a name that means “Korea can do”) in some European countries and marketed it as a bargain bin-priced alternative to Japanese SUVs.

Fast-forward to 2025, and the second-generation Korando is still considered a bargain bin-priced alternative to Japanese SUVs. It’s a big step up from a Lada Niva in terms of comfort, it’s more spacious than a Fiat Panda 4×4, and it’s probably more dependable than a Renault Kangoo 4×4.

That’s in Europe. On our shores, however, it’s an obscure off-roader that most people have never heard of, which is why we’re intrigued by the one that’s listed on eBay. The auction description notes that this Korando has no rust because it spent all of its life in “a dry Mediterranean climate.” Odds are it came from Spain or Italy, because buyers in both markets are more open to quirky SUVs than French drivers. It looks clean for a 27-year-old SUV, but the gallery includes no underbody pictures and the Mediterranean climate isn’t as friendly to cars as you might assume. Sure, there’s no salt on the roads, but there’s lots of salt in the air, so rust can chew through the weirdest and most improbable parts of a car. The ad also points out that this Korando was always garaged, which is an overused claim that’s almost always impossible to prove.

Garaged or not, this Korando looks complete and hasn’t been significantly modified. We spot a snorkel, window tint, and aftermarket wheels as the only obvious modifications. The features list includes cloth upholstery, wood-look interior trim, power windows, and a cassette player. The odometer shows about 116,800 kilometers, which converts to roughly 72,600 miles. If that’s accurate, it’s pretty low for a 27-year-old SUV.

Power comes from a 2.3-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine with an interesting history. In the 1990s, Mercedes-Benz sold Ssangyong a license to modify and build four- and five-cylinder diesel engines for use in the Musso and the Korando. The four-cylinder, known as the OM661, also powered the Sprinter but wasn’t used by Mercedes in any of its passenger cars. It makes about 101 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque in this application, and spins the rear or all four wheels via a five-speed manual transmission and two-speed transfer case.

Saying that the Korando is Mercedes-powered isn’t accurate; it’s powered by a Mercedes-derived engine. Ssangyong was damn proud of the link, however. There’s a “powered by Mercedes-Benz” sticker on the rear window, and a “licensed by Mercedes-Benz AG” sticker on the Ssangyong-branded valve cover. “Licensed by Mercedes-Benz AG” also appears on a metal plate bolted to the firewall, just in case you missed it the first time.

The seller, a dealership called European Car Importers, is asking $17,000 for the Korando. The ad claims that this SUV was recently serviced (it notably received a new clutch) and will be sold with a Florida title. It’s over 25 years old, so it should be fairly easy to register in another state, though don’t forget that what flies in Florida doesn’t necessarily fly in, say, California. The price is difficult to evaluate. On one hand, with $17,000 you could buy a JK-generation Wrangler and have money left over for modifications. On the other, where else are you going to find a relatively clean Korando that’s already titled in the United States? The answer is probably nowhere, and you’d have to import one yourself.

If you’re tempted, you’re not alone; there are 80 people watching the listing. You’ve got about six days left to mull it over.

The Modern-Day Korando

Production of the second-generation Korando ended in 2006, but the nameplate lives on. Shown below, the current model made its debut in 2019, and unlike the Wrangler it has been watered down into a very generic-looking crossover. Stretching about 171 inches long, it’s offered with front- or all-wheel-drive and either gasoline or electric power. But while the Korando nameplate is still around, it’s no longer sold by Ssangyong. The brand filed for bankruptcy in 2020, and it was renamed KGM in 2023 after a South Korean chaebol named KG Group bought it.

Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com

The post Will Anyone Spend $17,000 on a Florida-Titled 1998 Ssangyong Korando? appeared first on The Drive.