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Tow TestSsangyong Rexton SX

The Ssangyong Rexton SX is a good-value option in the

medium-sized 4WD wagon market.

NEW TRICKSOld dog

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PICS ELLEN DEWAR AND NATHAN JACOBS

WORDS PHILIP LORD

Ssangyong began selling vehicles here in 1996 with its Musso seven-seat wagon. Then, in 2003, came the Rexton – another, very similar, seven seater – which has

continued selling here with minimal changes until the new MY14 facelift Rexton arrived in May 2014.

We don’t often get the opportunity to test a vehicle for more than about 500km – but, on this occasion, we were able to clock up more than 2500km in the Rexton, heading from Sydney to Broken Hill, NSW.

The Rexton got a work-out in every possible condition, from urban traffic to fast, bulldust-covered tracks.

ATTRIBUTESThe Rexton is a very familiar design, given it was initially launched here in 2003. With the 2014 update comes a new diesel engine, new nose and tail treatments, and a slight revision to the interior. The rest of the package, from the sheet metal to the separate chassis underneath, is exactly the same.

At $39,990 drive-away, not only is the Rexton the cheapest diesel, dual-range 4WD seven-seat wagon on the market, it is also loaded with gear. Leather seats, leather steering wheel and gear knob, electric driver’s seat adjustment

“It is roomy, comfortable, has well-sorted suspension, a willing engine and is outstanding value”

with memory, MP3/CD player with Bluetooth audio streaming/phone and steering wheel controls, climate control air-conditioning with separate rear controls for third-row occupants, cruise control, fog lights, front and rear parking sensors, 16in alloy wheels, heated electric side mirrors and side steps are all standard.

Safety equipment includes front and front side airbags (so none for rear occupants) and the usual suite of electronic over hydraulic traction aids, including ABS brakes with electronic brake assist, traction and stability control, hill descent control and anti-rollover protection. The only option is metallic paint at $350.

The Rexton has pretty good interior packaging, with the compromise of space, comfort and practical features well covered. The front seats are very comfortable for the long haul and the driver gets a clear view out and to most of the instruments. The second row is flat but roomy (a flatter seat is better when fitting multiple child seats or boosters) and the third row is very close to the floor and close to the second row – really only a sub-teenager’s retreat here.

There are no headrests for the centre second-row occupant, nor for the third-rowers. Unlike most other seven-seaters, the third row is not split, so you can’t just have one third-row seat

Tow TestSsangyong Rexton SX

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Below: Audio controls on the leather steering wheel. Below right: The Rex-ton’s interior combines space, comfort and practicality.

Clockwise from top: Storage space in the cargo area; the Rexton runs a 2L turbodiesel engine; the rear seats fold flat to create a large storage space; standard side steps.

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1. Value for money 2. Towing performance 3. Hitching up 4. Creature comforts 5. Accessibility of spare parts 6. Fuel economy 7. Solo performance 8. Engine power 9. Innovation 10. X-Factor

Ratings

Ssangyong Rexton SX

Weights and measuresLength 4755mmWidth 1900mmHeight 1840mm

Wheelbase 2835mmGround clearance 216mm

Kerb Mass 1985kgGross Vehicle Mass 2710kg

Gross Combined Mass 5310kgTowing capacity unbraked/braked

750/2600kgTowball (max) 200kg

DrivetrainEngine 2L turbodiesel

Transmission Five-speed automaticPower 115kW at 4000rpm

Torque 360Nm at 1500-2800rpmGear ratios (:1)

1 3.602 2.193 1.414 1.005 0.83

Reverse 3.17Final drive 3.54

High/low range 1.00/2.48

Options fittedMetallic paint $350

GeneralFuel capacity 78L

Suspension Independent McPherson strut (front); five-link live axle, coil

springs (rear)Brakes Ventilated discs (front); solid

discs (rear)Wheels 7x16in alloy

Warranty Three years/100,000kmRoof load 45kg

More information www.ssangyong.com.au

Price $40,340

Clockwise from right: Our Rexton came with a Westfalia towbar but the Hayman-Reese aftermarket unit would be preferable; the MY14 Rexton maintains its familiar shape; it comes with 16in alloy wheels.

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up and use the remaining flat area as storage space.

There are plenty of storage bins and cup holders throughout the cabin and the separate rear air-conditioning controls and vents is a very good feature to get airflow into the back. The cargo area is spacious with the third row folded but presents a high loading lip. The temporary-use spare wheel is slung under the rear.

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSIONThe 2L turbodiesel engine was originally a Mercedes-Benz design but has been worked over so many times by Ssangyong that it now calls it its own. This latest version was first seen in the Ssangyong Korando, and this is first time it has been used in the Rexton. While the maximum outputs are not by any means class-leading, the diesel does a good job of propelling the Rexton along just the same. The inevitable turbo lag at low speeds can be easily anticipated (not always the case) and is not the lengthy pause it can be with some turbodiesels. The engine revs smoothly and has a well-picked set of gear ratios in the five-speed Mercedes-Benz automatic to keep it on song.

The auto can be driven manually via the gear lever or the gear selector buttons on the steering wheel, useful for low-range offroading or steep descents. The steering wheel gear button setup takes a bit of getting used to as they are not the typical manual-mode controls – the buttons are on the face of the steering wheel rather than set behind it.

The Rexton has a conventional part-time 4WD system with dual range, selected via a dashboard switch. The system works quite quickly when selecting drive type (high-range rear-wheel drive or four-wheel-drive and low-range four-wheel drive) and the low-range reduction is quite good for low-speed crawling.

SUSPENSIONUntil recently, Korean 4WDs were generally known for their lack of suspension sophistication, but the Rexton has always been one that seems to have got it pretty much right.

After nearly 3000km of testing on every type of road, from tarred urban freeways to outback tracks, it seems that this latest Rexton is a winner with its suspension settings. While it does feel a little too firm when it has to respond to lots of small, sharp bumps, it is otherwise very composed. Even some of the nasty bulldust holes we encountered near White Cliffs did not phase the Rexton.

The live rear axle also tends to not cause the rear to skip sideways much at all, not always the case with such a design.

For an out-of-the-box separate-chassis 4WD wagon, this is one of the better outback tourers we’ve tested for its superb suspension control. How long it would last copping such punishment is another thing, but you could say the same thing about any standard suspension. The steering responds quickly to inputs and is well-weighted. Like most of its ilk, the Rexton does better on more open roads than twisting loops of bitumen.

ECONOMYWe could not quite match Ssangyong’s average fuel economy claim (7.8L/100km combined), with a best of 8.9L/100km when touring easy,

110km/h highways out on the New South Wales plains. When towing a 1300kg camper, the Rexton averaged 12.9L/100km.

TOWINGIn terms of towbars, our Rexton came equipped with a Westfalia unit, but a regular box-hitch-style towbar is also available in the aftermarket from the likes of Hayman-Reese and for most caravanners this would be the preference.

With the camper hooked up, the Rexton did sag a little on its rear suspension, and leaving gullies or washouts it scraped its towbar on occasion.

Engine braking on descents was very good, and the Rexton felt very stable towing even on fast dirt. Performance felt blunted with a camper behind, but was still responsive enough for overtaking slower traffic.

THE BOTTOM LINEThe medium, dual-range 4WD wagon market, in which the Ssangyong is an entrant, has an increasing number of options, many of them much newer designs.

The Mitsubishi Challenger, Holden Colorado 7 and Isuzu MU-X will soon be joined by Ford and

Toyota wagons of a similar ilk.Yet the Ssangyong is a very competent

vehicle – not perfect, of course – but far better than it has a right to be as the cheapest, oldest vehicle in this ever-growing segment. It is roomy, comfortable, has well-sorted suspension, a willing engine and is outstanding value. The only question marks are its higher than expected fuel consumption, lack of headrests in the third row and, for outback touring, a space-saver spare wheel.

Tow TestSsangyong Rexton SX