Ssangyong a company recently, well not exactly recently taken up by Mahindra, have launched their first SUV or say Premium SUV for the Indian market on the same day as the Tata Storme, The Rexton is a vehicle which borrows Looks, Engine technology and Transmission from the Benz Family of cars and I like what I see. Visually it looks fabulous. The feature list is very exhaustive, and every feature from Manual Transmission to Auto and Plush interiors to GPS Navigation is available. Two variants has been introduced in the market namely as RX5 (Manual Transmission 4X4 Torque on demand Drivetrain) & RX7 (Auto Transmission All Wheel Drive).
The Rexton is powered by a Five Cylinder Diesel Powerplant, in a different state of tune for the RX5 and RX7 Variants giving an output of 162 and 184 bhp respectively. The Manual transmission has Five Gears and even the Auto Transmission has five gears, The Gearbox is sourced from M-Benz.
The feature list is very vast; the most highlighted features are:
- Classy chrome grille
- ‘Eagle eye’ shaped projector headlamps and the Rexton emblem
- Stylish bumper, integrated fog lamps and turn signals
- ORVMs with integrated LED turn indicators
- LED rear tail lamps with ‘L’ shaped parking lights
- Chrome side mouldings
- Stylish 10-spoke 16″ alloy wheels
- Rexton branding on scuff plates
- Premium silver coloured roof rails
- Dual tone beige & black interiors with metal grain accents
- Premium leather upholstery RX-7
- 8-way electrically adjustable driver seat with automatic easy access function
- ORVMs with electric adjustment + folding and heating
- Touchscreen Infotainment system with MP3, DVD, USB port & Aux-in and 6 speakers
- Steering wheel with tilt function and audio controls
- Day and night IRVM
- Keyless entry
- 2nd and 3rd row AC vents with blower controls
- Sunglass holder
- Video function
- Navigation system with preloaded maps
- E-tronic gearbox with sporty manual mode and winter switch
- E-Tronic shift buttons on steering wheel and shift position indicator
- Speed sensitive power steering
- Memory function with 3 presets for driver seat & ORVMs
- Electric sunroof with tilt/open function and sunblind
- Fully automatic climate control system
- Rear parking sensors – audible
- Automatic headlamps
- Rain sensing wipers
- Cruise control
- Ultra-rigid steel frame with triple layer construction
- Independent double wishbone front suspension with anti-roll bar
- Independent 5-link rear suspension with anti-roll bar
- All-Wheel Drive system (AWD) RX – 7
- Intelligent 4×4 Torque-On-Demand system (TOD) with low ratio RX-5
- Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
- Avoid wheel locking under panic braking situations with ABS. It only reassures your faith in the car’s safety features.
- Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with off switch
- Active rollover protection
- Hill Descent Control (HDC) with on / off switch
- Dual front and side airbags
- Immobilizer
- Strengthened body structure with reinforced steel panels
- Rear windscreen defogger
- Rear windscreen wash and wipe
Specifications as per the product website are as follows:
| RX5 | RX7 | |
| Length (mm) | 4755 | 4755 |
| Width (mm) | 1900 | 1900 |
| Height (mm) | 1785 (1840 with roof rails) | 1785 (1840 with roof rails) |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2835 | 2835 |
| Ground clearance (mm) | 252 | 252 |
| Turning radius (m) | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| Tyresize | P 235/75 R16 | P 235/75 R16 |
| Fuel tank capacity | 78 | 78 |
| Engine | RX270 XDi | RX270 XVT |
| Fuel type | Diesel | Diesel |
| Number of cylinders | 5 | 5 |
| Displacement (cc) | 2696 | 2696 |
| Max. Power output (Bhp@rpm) | 162 @ 4000 | 184 @ 4000 |
| Max. Torque output (Nm@rpm) | 340 @ 1800-3250 | 402 @ 1600-3000 |
| Transmission (no. of gears) | 5 | 5 |
| Transmission (MT/AT) | MT | Etronic AT |
| Drivetrain | Torque on Demand | AllWheel Drive |
| Emission | BS IV | BS IV |
| Gross vehicle weight | 2760 | 2760 |
| Front | Ventilated Disc | Ventilated Disc |
| Rear | Disc | Disc |
| Maximum speed (Kmph) | 180 | 194 |
| Fuel consumption (Km/L as per ARAI) | 12.4 | 11.18 |
| Price Ex Showroom (New Delhi) in Lacs | 17.75 | 19.75 |
Rexton will be available in four choices of color;
Frankly the Ssangyong brand is not very well reputed one in the international scene and its inception in the Indian market will be scrutinized very closely, but Indiais a very forgiving market when it comes to adapting international brands. Therefore the majority of the prospective buyers will HOLD their decision till some concrete and definitive reviews are available from prestigious reviewers.
Complete list of Features and Specifications:
