Mention the SsangYong Kyron to most motorists and they'll look at you as if you're from another planet. Well fair enough – after, it does sound very like another Dr Who-like monster  such as the Daleks, the Adipose or the Slitheen.

But weird  name or not, SsangYong aims to make its mark on the 4x4 market in a big way, offering stacks of equipment, proving surprisingly capable off road and boasting rather classy bonus of Mercedes-Benz engines and gearboxes, all for less money than most other rivals.

Pitched at the owners of rivals such as the ubiquitous Freelander and iconic Toyota RAV4, the Kyron is a refreshingly honest mud-plugger with a certain off-the-wall visual image. It looks decidedly different, it's an unknown quantity and it has plenty going for it, particularly in terms of space and on-board whistles and bells.

That could work for Kyron, rather than against it. After all, drivers  are now looking far and wide for ways of cutting motoring costs as the credit crunch bites and Britain slides closer to recession and there's a certain kudos about owning a vehicle no-one else has.

And with prices from £14,995-£22,495 there's a model to suit a big range of pockets. The model I have been testing is the big and bold SsangYong Kyron M200XDi five-door 4x4 at £21,495 - a big-bodied, handsome beast with some startling visual features.

A curving side gouge rises impressively from front to back with a speed flash streak below; a distinctive half-moon front grille; a deeply raked front screen; and blacked out rear privacy glass for that film star touch.

Inside SsangYong wisely opts for a classy, all-black look on dash, doors, seats and console, with deeply scooped side windows for excellent all round vision.

The fascia design is a success with an angular dashboard that takes up little space and bags of equipment that's all easily accessible and easy to identify. Giant door mirrors are a welcome plus for this type of vehicle when manoeuvring and reversing, although the turning circle is only average.

The test model five-seater revelled in a vast amount of interior space with opulent all-leather seating front and back. With big, wide cushions and sporty side support, they're designed to feel comfy and shore you up well on the move.

The 2.0-litre Merc diesel engine has a distinctive drone and moan and seems a little unresponsive to kickdown acceleration on the auto gearbox. But what it lacks in downchange vigour it makes up with in deceptive press-on mid-range acceleration, even though it doesn't sound like it.

The Kyron prefers to make majestic progress in long, deep breathing sweeps of speed rather than staccato up-and-down changes and the gearchanges themselves slide in unobtrusively.

Steering that's pleasantly light around town and relaxing to work with proves to be just that most of the time, it's reasonably accurate but not as sharp as some in the class.

From a performance point of view Kyron feels up to the job, sitting solidly on the road, cornering safely and solidly and generally storming around in style.

Ride quality, again, takes some getting used to, with some road noise and fidgeting but in some ways it all adds to the Kyron's mysterious charm.

Off road there's plenty to admire, with a choice of 2H, 4H or a mud-plugging 4L from which to choose, all easily sorted with a simple switch.

And those with plenty to transport will quickly appreciate the huge amounts of space – even with all the seats up there's a big amount of room in the boot and folding down the rear seats reveals acres of precious load accommodation.

It's quirky, it's different and it's right on the nose for price. Maybe Kyron's arrived just in time for 4x4 fans seeking the most for their money...or just something a little different from the neighbours.

At a glance:

• Six Kyron SUV models with most using the latest clean and economical 2.0 litre, turbocharged common rail diesel engine, with two- or four-wheel drive and a choice of manual or automatic transmissions. The SsangYong Kyron goes head-to-head with the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe and Chevrolet Captiva.


• Model tested: SsangYong Kyron M200XDi five-door 4x4 auto, £21,495.


• Urban 24.1mpg; combined 32.5mpg; combined 32.5mpg; 0-62mph in 15.8 secs.


• Kyron prices from £14,995-£22,495.


• Even entry model comes with air conditioning, electronic stability programme (ESP), hill descent control (HDC), ABS brakes, a Kenwood radio and CD player and steering wheel audio controls as standard, beating all other rivals for price.


• EX models gain rear parking sensors, electric folding door mirrors, larger alloy wheels, side airbags, leather upholstery and a Kenwood touch screen audio and navigation system. The EX Auto also has cruise control.


• 3 years' free servicing on all models.


• Free satellite navigation upgrades on selected models.


• New web site at www.ssangyonggb.co.uk.