What is it?

The last time I borrowed a Rexton was back in 2021, and I remember enjoying it, despite what all the mainstream car magazines said at the time. Don’t get me wrong, they all appreciated its simple ruggedness, the fact that it was a proper 4x4 with 7 decent seats and that it was great value, but they kept comparing it to the Discovery and its more expensive and on-road biased ilk.

The Rexton actually does a great job of molly-coddling you and your passengers, but there’s no escaping the fact that the Rexton is a proper 4x4 that has a genuine purpose. Forget those other SUV wannabes, if you want something more rugged, check out the Rexton.

On the road

Because the Rexton continues to be built using the body-on-frame construction - a traditional chassis, means that it can lack the ride and handling standards set by most modern SUVs. That said, SsangYong has made a few mechanical modifications to the Rexton, from the chassis to recalibrated steering with adjusted weighting, along with tweaks to the springs and dampers and new wheels and tyres.

This means that for the majority of the time the ride is soft and well damped. Drive enthusiastically through the corners and the Rexton feels a bit on the heavy side and wallows a bit, but that’s perfectly acceptable as it’s not meant to be compared to a Range Rover Sport.

The Rexton also benefits from new hydraulic engine mounts and better noise insulation which in turn means that wind and road noise aren’t as noticeable as the previous model.

The Rexton is a big, heavy car, one that’s capable of towing 3.5-tonne braked trailer, and after a week of mixed driving it averaged at 31.5mpg, not bad, really. That said, with CO2 emissions of 225g/km it will most likely put many business users off who are seeking more favourable Benefit-in-Kind tax rates.

Off road

A locking centre differential and low-range ratios in the gearbox mean the Rexton will keep going when other SUV are floundering.

The steering is overly assisted, which is ideal for exploring, especially on technical bits - not that I went that far off the beaten track due to its limited approach angle, and the fact that I spent more time travelling up and down our motorway network to car launches and shows than I did ‘laning.

Interior

The first thing you notice when you enter the cab is space, lots of it! The nappa leather seats are comfortable, as the driving position, and SsangYong has added soft-touch material, chrome plastic and piano black surfaces to give the Rexton a more classy feel.

Being the top-spec model it comes with a large 9.2” touchscreen and a 3D around view monitoring system and an 8” TFT driver information display, along with all the bells and whistles that you would expect.

Standard kit is more than generous, with Ultimate models featuring 18” alloy wheels, LED front fog and cornering lights, an electric tailgate, premium Nappa leather seats with heating and ventilation function, a heated steering wheel and rear privacy glass.

When it comes to seating, the Rexton is now only available as a seven-seater, and every passenger will find they have both decent head and legroom room, although the third row of seats are still reserved for the more petite amongst us.

Fold all the seats down flat and the Rexton is simply cavernous, so much so that there’s plenty of space fold the seats down flat and spend a night or two in relative comfort.

As you can see from the photos, I was able to slide my Ecoflow Glacier fridge freezer in as well as a duffle and my XL sleeping bag, with plenty of room to spare.

Need a bit more space? No problem, the Rexton also has a false floor in which you can store a large picnic table and camp chairs and other camping essentials.

Also in the boot you have rear heater controls and a 12v, 120w socket.

Engine ’n’ transmission

SsangYong only offers a single diesel engine option: the 2.2-litre that offers 199bhp and 441Nm of torque, which is enough to give the Rexton acceptable performance.

Gearbox wise the Rexton now has a Hyundai sourced eight-speed auto that feels smoother both at lower speeds and shifting up when getting a move on. For a bit more control it also has manual paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.

Conclusion

The Rexton comes in four flavours - Ventura, Ventura Plus and Ultimate and Ultimate Plus, and although standard kit is excellent, it’s the Ultimate Plus model is packed to the rafters with pretty much everything you need in a vehicle.

Although it doesn’t have a Euro NCAP rating, the Rexton has an extensive range of safety equipment, including active emergency braking, collision warning, trailer sway control, lane departure warning and a raft of side airbags for rear seat passengers and a driver's knee airbag. Top-spec models also have by blind spot and cross traffic and lane change collision alerts.

The Rexton range starts at £39,500, and for those who are after a rugged workhorse with enough comfort for the family, it’s a very worthy option.

more at » ssangyonggb.co.uk

Review: SsangYong Rexton 2.2 Diesel Ultimate