New car trivia: New SsangYong Rexton

• Published On: 5 June 2017
• 1154 Views

Ssangyong’s brand new flagship will take on hot-selling, seven-seat SUVs like the Ford Endeavour and the Toyota Fortuner.

The Rexton, SsangYong’s first and only offering in India left little to write home about. Now, however, the Korean carmaker has readied a replacement for its flagship in the all-new Rexton, and is betting big on it. It’s expected to arrive in India sometime around early 2018, and here are a few facts about it.

From a clean sheet
The new model is quite a departure from its rather unimpressive predecessor. While it looks quite conventional in shape, the projector headlamps, slim hexagonal grille, massive 20-inch alloy wheels, sculpted body and the nicely detailed tail-lamps look quite unique. To top it off, its massive dimensions (4,850mmx1,960mmx1,825mm) make it quite an imposing SUV.

Inside story
Where the new Rexton really scores is on interior space. Not only is there plenty of space for the occupants, with a boot that can hold between 784- 1,977-litres, luggage space is ample too.

Creature comfort
A massive 9.2-inch HD screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 360-degree camera (first in class), cooled leather seats, and a smart tailgate are some of the unique features on the new Rexton. It even comes with an auto door-lock function that automatically locks the car’s doors when you walk away with the key in your pocket.  

Engine and gearbox
The new Rexton gets a 187hp, 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine is paired with a seven-speed gearbox that’s sourced from Mercedes-Benz. It also comes with four-wheel drive, and what should really work in its favour for performance and efficiency is that it’s a good 300kg lighter than competition like the Ford Endeavour.

Bigger, lighter, stronger
Built on a brand-new, high-strength steel, ladder-frame chassis, the new Rexton is both lighter and stronger than the model it replaces. SsangYong says that the new chassis makes the car safer in a crash too.

How much will you pay? 
To have a fighting chance against popular rivals like the Toyota Fortuner, the Rexton will have to cost at least ₹4 lakh lesser. Mahindra says that the price point if achievable, and is evaluating local assembly for the Rexton. Expect it to cost around ₹28 lakh (ex-showroom) when it hits showrooms sometime around early 2018. It remains to be seen if the SUV will be brought into India under SsangYong or as a Mahindra.