New 2017 SsangYong Rexton SUV: pictures and official details
SsangYong has launched its new Rexton large SUV at the Seoul Motor Show in Korea; will hit UK dealers in the autumn
The new SsangYong Rexton will reach UK dealers by this autumn - promising further to trump cars like the Hyundai Santa Fe on space, and the Ford Edge on price, equipment and towing ability.
The new Rexton is 4,850mm long - so about 15cm longer than the biggest Hyundai SUV in UK dealers. SsangYong’s offering is wider, too, at 1,920mm - and its wheelbase is considerably longer again, at 2,865mm.
Its styling takes cues from Tivoli - notably the crease that falls along its flanks, and the distinctive ‘hump’ above the rear wheelarch - but it has a more grown-up look at the front end, and tail-lights that sit across the rear hatchback shutline and have a whiff of Ford Kuga about them.
SsangYong UK will offer the Rexton in five- and seven-seat configurations - all with four-wheel drive and, most probably, a diesel engine (a 222bhp 2.0-litre petrol is available, but it’s said to be unlikely to make it to British dealers for the time being). The 2.2-litre turbodiesel, called e-XDi220, will produce 182bhp and 420Nm of torque; both of these figures represent slight increases over the existing car. No fuel consumption or CO2 emissions data has been released.
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The Rexton’s four-wheel drive system spends most of its life driving the rear wheels only, diverting power to the front when conditions get more slippery. In most of the cars sold in the UK it will be controlled through a Mercedes-sourced seven-speed automatic transmission - but a six-speed manual is likely to be offered on entry-level editions.
Inside, SsangYong’s engineers have built on the neat styling of the Tivoli baby SUV - but with further improvements in material quality. An eight-inch infotainment system will be the starting point on the Rexton, and higher-spec models will get a larger 9.2in display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity will be available, and the system will also offer a top-down, ‘around-view’ monitor to help with parking. There’s also a seven-inch info display between the instrument dials.
The dashboard has a clean look - again, with some cues from the Tivoli - but cross-stitched material panels and Nappa leather add a touch of luxury. The equipment on offer will include dual-zone climate control, a powered rear tailgate that opens automatically when the keyholder has been standing behind it for three seconds, and a new level of safety kit for SsangYong, including nine airbags and rear cross-traffic alert.
The Rexton is due on sale in the UK in the autumn. SsangYong hasn’t issued prices or specs yet, but we’d expect the starting point of the new car to be slightly higher than that of its predecessor, at around £27,000. Fully laden top-spec editions of the car should cost more than £30,000, therefore. All versions will get SsangYong’s five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.
New SsangYong Musso double cab pick-up for 2018
The Rexton will play a key role as SsangYong continues to rebuild following its near-collapse under Chinese ownership and a takeover by Indian giant Mahindra & Mahindra. The firm expects to launch a new model every year for the foreseeable future; the next vehicle on that agenda should be a new double-cab pick-up, which is codenamed Q200 and is likely to carry the Musso name when it arrives in UK dealers in the first half of 2018.
The new Musso is said to share chassis components, engines and gearboxes with the Rexton, offering SsangYong - still a relative minnow, with global production of around 170,000 cars per year - a useful gain in economies of scale.
Read our review of the new SsangYong Tivoli XLV here...
