[13] The car was criticised on release by many reviewers for poor build quality,[14] handling,[15] refinement, emissions, performance,[16] safety,[17] ride,[5] and interior finish,[18] but praised for its space, practicality, value for money,[19] low price, number of seats, after-sales service,[16] the availability of four-wheel-drive, Mercedes-Benz mechanicals, and generous warranty terms.

[20][21] Many were used as airport taxis due to the generous warranty and large space available, enabling the car to transport entire families while carrying luggage.

[34][35][36][37] As a follow-up, the car won the 2009 'WTF' award from Top Gear Magazine, which said that it 'looks like it got bottled in a pub brawl and stitched back together by a blind man'.

[38][39] Jeremy Clarkson described the car as an "unholy merger" of a coupe and a removal van, with 'wheels... the size of Smarties',[40] while Richard Hammond criticised it as 'rather ugly'.

[29] In response to this criticism, SsangYong denied that the car was ugly, and replied that the vehicle 'comes with a strong emotional component that will make it the focus of attention wherever it goes'.

[14][41] In 2017, the British motoring television series Top Gear attempted to realise Greenley's design aspirations by combining a pre-facelift Rodius with a boat chassis to create a luxury yacht, which they named the SsangYacht.

[43][44]The second generation Rodius, called the Korando Turismo (Korean: 코란도 투리스모) in South Korea, was revealed on February 5, 2013 and was first shown at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show with sales commencing soon after.

[49] In March 2014, the second generation Stavic was awarded “2014 Car of the Year – Best MPV Design” by Grand Prix, the most famous automotive magazine in Thailand, at the 35th Bangkok International Motor Show 2014.