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Rexton Reviews
Last updated 10/09/2005

24 February 2005 Source:Peter Barnwell

Ssangyong Rexton Long term Update

Our Rexton has been living in the garage for nearly three months and it's now fully run in and functional, to the point where we have taken it off road and enjoyed the extra facility that provides.

People are really interested in what the Rexton actually 'is'.

"What sort of vehicle is that mate?" often resonates when we park the Rexton and comments on the styling are favourable.

They reckon it looks a bit like a Prado at the rear but the handsome front owes nothing to anything.

The Rexton is a handy device off road especially with its gas dampers, double wishbone front and five link long travel suspension. Ssangyong has set the Rexton up with firm suspension for an off roader but it doesn't detract in the rough at all, in fact, due to the lack of roll and pitch, the Rexton is more comfortable than some other mushy makes.

And there is the added benefit of flatter cornering on the road.

The selectable 4WD system has low and high range 4WD activated by a button on the dash – it's that simple and in low, pretty well nothing stops the Rexton short of a rock wall.

We spent time meandering through sand hills, rolling along the beach and then ventured further inland for a picnic. This was child's play for the Rexton.

The vehicle is built on a ladder chassis and has a five speed automatic transmission that combine to make off road driving a breeze.

The road oriented Bridgestone tyres also stand up pretty well to challenging traction.

There's plenty of ground clearance and about the only thing to touch bottom were the optional side steps. But they have other benefits for everyday driving.

The torquey 2.7-litre, five cylinder turbo diesel gives impressive fuel, economy and performance and the vehicle is never lacking for get up and go out on the highway. It surprises plenty of other motorists just how much acceleration the Rexton has. And it will average around 10.0 litres/100km fuel economy – pretty good for a two tonne 4WD.

The test vehicle is the topliner and features leather upholstery, power everything. climate control, cruise, steering wheel audio controls – not much is left off the list.

We still have trouble accepting the automatic door locking system that activates after about the first 500 metres. It's a really American, paranoid thing to have in a car and can be annoying. The steering wheel leather is slippery.

But we really like the large load area, full size spare, folding rear seats and flip up tailgate glass.

The kids have no trouble getting in the back seat and there is plenty of room for five adults. An optional seven seat arrangement is available.

Also impressive is the build quality of the vehicle. Forget any preconceptions about "cheap" Korean here. Close the doors, "thunk" – hear the quality.

News Limited Community Newspapers

Date:30/4/2004 Source:Peter Barnwell (Unedited copy from Car.net.au)

REMEMBER SsangYong Musso, the Korean 4WD with the Mercedes-Benz heart that looked like a flight of stairs in profile? Benz originally imported the thing then it went to Daewoo which sold it as a SsangYong and then finally as a Daewoo. Then Daewoo went bust and Ssangyong's name faded from the market. It's back, under the direction of a Kiwi dynamo named Russell Burling who is in the process of setting up a local dealer network for this and other Ssangyong products, including a luxury car and a people mover. Four regional offices have been established and local dealers are being appointed for the arrival of Rexton at the end of April. Burling is fairly keyed up about the imminent launch and so he should be. Rexton will be priced from $39,990 when it arrives and it looks the business in terms of styling and value for money. Burling said Rexton had the highest local content of any sport utility vehicle sold here. He underlined this with details of various locally manufactured components such as the BTR four-speed, three-mode automatic transmission the same used in BA Falcon. A Borg Warner torque-on-demand transfer case is also used on some models. The five-speed manual transmission is a Tremec unit. Engines are built under licence from Benz an SOHC, 88kW/256Nm, 2.9L turbo diesel five-cylinder that's been around for a long time and the excellent DOHC, 162kW/312Nm, 3.2L straight-six petrol twin- cam unit used in various Benz models made through the '90s. Two Rexton models will be available: the Sport and the Limited. Both will be available with petrol or diesel engines and manual or automatic transmission. Prices range up to the RX3200 Limited at $60,000. Burling said a seven-seat option and dual airconditioning will be available. He said a new generation five-cylinder diesel engine, again built under licence from Mercedes-Benz, will come on stream late in 2003 or 2004. ql Apart from the engines, Rexton owes little to the Musso as it has a totally new ladder chassis and body. ql Where Musso was fairly agricultural in the dynamics department, Rexton is a significant step up thanks to the use of a double wishbone/coil spring front suspension and five-link/coil spring rear. Dampers are double acting and stabiliser bars are fitted at both ends. Rexton diesel has selectable 4WD offering 2L, 4H and 4L modes. The front hubs are automatically engaged when 4WD is selected. The chassis rails are reinforced with cross-members to give a rigid platform for the suspension, body and powertrain. The vehicle is on a 2820mm wheelbase which is longer than Land Rover Discovery or Toyota Prado. A tight 5.6m turning circle will be handy in the bush and for city driving. Ground clearance is 200mm with approach and departure angles of 29 degrees and 25 degrees respectively. Petrol Rexton has an electronically operated, full- time, torque-on-demand 4WD system that varies drive between the front and rear axles according to available traction. The 80-litre tank should provide a useful range, obviously greater in the turbo diesel model. Inside looks modern with an overuse of woodgrain fascia. Interior dimensions are about the same as a Mitsubishi Pajero, perhaps a little smaller. ABS and traction control are included in the package as are dual front airbags and pre-tension seat belts. The chassis/body features crumple zones and a passenger safety cell. Ssangyong engineers developed new noise and vibration abatement systems for Rexton to give increased interior comfort. Rexton weighs in between 1862kg and 1997kg depending on the model. Airconditioning, electric windows and heated ex terior mirrors, power steering, remote keyless entry, 16in wheels and CD audio are standard across the range. Rexton is up against a tough competitor in the new Kia Sorrento which sells for $2000 less and has automatic transmission and a larger capacity engine as standard equipment. The Rexton might have an edge for off-road work. We will let you know when we drive it.

SSANYONG’S NEW REXTON 4WD
Rexton is a tough 4WD that’s a genuine off-roader which is well suited to playing hard.

In Korea they still think that 4WDs should be tough vehicles, not simply people movers with a macho shape and a couple of extra differentials. So it comes as no surprise that the new Rexton from Ssanyong is the real thing.

Rexton comes with a full chassis and a dual-range transfer case. Prime attributes in the mind of any serious four-wheel driving.

These items, combined with some powerful electronic traction controls, give it off-road ability superior to that likely to be demanded by all but the most serious of Australian drivers.

The SsangYong company is back. Once promoted here in Australia by Mercedes-Benz, then by Daewoo, the Korean maker is now being sold in its own right.

Though we will again see variants of the old SsangYong Musso and Korando models of the 1990s, the Rexton will be the mainstay of the new range.

A modern looking machine with a combination of Korean and Euro styling, Rexton looks attractive. Perhaps it’s a bit too fussy in shape at the front, but it looks good in profile and at the rear. It will have no trouble holding its own in the styling stakes amongst the soft-roader people movers.

Rexton is a medium to large 4WD with seats for five or seven. It’s powered by either a 2.7 or 2.9-litre turbo diesel, or a 3.2 litre straight-six petrol unit. All are closely related to Mercedes engines, with the 2.7 being a new design and the others fairly old ones.

For that reason the price leader will be the 2.9 turbo-diesel, tagged Rexton RX290, at just $37,790. The biggest seller is likely to be the $43,790 Rexton RX270 diesel at $43,790. The petrol RX320 will sell for the same price as the RX270.

Automatic transmission is a four-speed unit in the RX290 and RX320, but a five-speed sequential in the RX270.

There is also an upmarket model in the 270/320 range, designated the Limited, it comes with such luxuries as heated seats, automatic lights and wipers and power-folding door mirrors, and is sold only with automatic transmission at $52,990.

Our initial road tests were done out of Auckland using motorways, backroads and gravel surfaces. Then in a great 4WD ‘park’ set in some beautiful rolling countryside. Testing at home in Australia will follow later.

On-road the Rexton is as smooth and quiet as most others in its class. The turbo-diesel is the pick of the engines having good, if not exceptional, power and plenty of torque at most revs. A real engine for real-life conditions.

In off-road driving the Rexton proved extremely capable. Low range is a simple pushbutton operation. Traction is good with the tyres not clogging up too badly. The electronic aids are all but imperceptible, though you do get some mechanical thumping at times as the diffs engage/disengage.

Ssanyong Rexton is well-priced, finished to a high standard and is refined on the road, particularly in its 2.7-litre format. It’s well worth adding to your shortlist of 4WDs, especially if you plan to get down and really dirty one day.