SsangYong PH quietly launches 2019 Rodius with a new face

It was only in July of this year when SsangYong introduces the updated Rodius in the U.K. with an updated face. A few months later, SsangYong Philippines followed suit and refreshes the South Korean MPV for the meticulous, family-oriented Filipino car buyers.

New for 2019, the Rodius gets a reworked front fascia, particularly its headlamps and bumper. It now sports a narrow set of headlights that are embellished with a dotted LED daytime running lights.

The new set of eyes aligns the Rodius with the rest of SsangYong’s lineup like the Tivoli and Tivoli XLV. Its bumpers have been updated as well, and the grille is now wider and narrower to match the headlamps.

The 2019 Rodius is unchanged at its side, which means the Philippine-spec model didn’t get the newly-designed 17-inch rims in the U.K. (seen in the images above). Nevertheless, a lot of things remain in the Rodius, including its 3,000mm wheelbase that houses 875L of cargo space and up to 11-seating capacity.

As for the head unit, SsangYong PH updates its infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility for seamless integration of smartphones.

Inside the hood, the Rodius MPV will still be powered by the 2.0L turbo diesel engine plant with 155 hp and 360 Nm of torque. That’s fine, as the current diesel mill has been proven to be a trusted companion when we reviewed the Rodius last year. The same goes for the Mercedes-Benz-sourced six-speed automatic gearbox.

The 2019 SsangYong Rodius will retain its price point across its range, sans the range-topper that got a bit of a bump: SX 4x2 MT (P1,290,000), EX 4x2 AT (P1,490,000), and ELX 4x4 AT (P1,690,000).