On the climb to premium status
It’s an old-school 4WD, but Rexton G4 brings a whole new appeal to SsangYong’s large SUV, writes David Linklater.
The SsangYong Rexton has always been a good old truck. With pretty much equal emphasis on each of those three things.
The latest Rexton G4 has definite aspirations to move upmarket: it looks swish, goes big on the bling and has really stepped up in terms of equipment and safety technology – at least in the flagship SPR model featured here.
Having said that, it’s still oldschool in concept: built on a separate frame chassis, with lowrange, serious off-road capability and a pickup truck-like tow rating of 3.5 tonnes. In fact, the G4 will provide the base for SsangYong’s next tray-one-tonner. That’s how rugged it is.
Just goes to show: if you keep stuff long enough, it will come back into fashion. Vehicles like Rexton are what we used to think of as SUVs, until the buying public decided it wanted the look without the actual off-road ability.
Being old-school doesn’t necessarily mean old-fashioned. The Rexton is a brand-new model and that ladder-frame chassis is constructed from high-tensile steel, with a dedicated ‘‘crash box’’ structure. The G4 is not on sale in Australia so don’t expect an ANCAP safety score any time soon, but Rexton has been launched in Europe so there will no doubt be an NCAP-test in 2018.
There’s been a resurgence of large seven-seaters that can truly tackle the rough stuff. Perhaps it’s a reaction against the proliferation of less-authentic ‘‘soft-roaders’’, perhaps a consequence of the popularity of double-cab pickup trucks. After all, most of these types of wagons are actually ‘‘utes with boots’’: Ford Everest, Holden Trailblazer, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota Fortuner to name a few. Soon, Rexton G4 too.
Making a tough SUV into a premium product is tricky. It’s got to be dressed-up, but also wellequipped and (here’s the really tricky bit) refined on-road.
Design-wise, Rexton delivers. It’s a handsome-looking thing, albeit with a slightly odd sense of proportion: a bit tippy-toes perhaps, and there are strange details like doorhandles that seem to be mounted far too low. Once you notice them, they’re very hard to unsee.
But there’s plenty of shiny stuff and the interior is impressively finished. You get the impression that somebody’s a fan of Bentley, with the SPR’s quilted Nappaleather upholstery, silver finish that looks like a knurling homage and mood lighting.
Some of the switchgear feels a bit flimsy, but for the most part this car has a quality feel. It’s fully loaded in SPR form as well, with keyless entry/start, power adjustment/memory/heating/ ventilation for the front seats and a large 9.2-inch touch screen with phone projection.
The only really bum note is a big one: the Mercedes-Benz-sourced seven-speed transmission has a staggered gearlever gate and massive dual-mode switch that’s exactly the same as Benzes I drove when I started as a motoring writer. And I’m really old. It just doesn’t fit.
The G4 is truly spacious and boasts outrageous cargo capacity: more than 600 litres in the boot even with all seven seats raised, or nearly 2000 litres if you want to go all the way and stow the rear two rows.
Other nice touches: separate air conditioning controls for the thirdrow seats and a handsfree tailgate that will raise if you simply stand there with the keys in your pocket for three seconds. No foot-kicking required.
The Rexton’s 2.2-litre turbodiesel is carried over from the previous model: it was added as part of an upgrade in 2015. It’s gained a little power and torque (3kW/20Nm) and is crisp enough at cruising speeds, but sounds gruff under load. Not unusual for a vehicle of this kind.
The rugged underpinnings bring opportunity cost in terms of onroad ride: the Rexton bounces passengers like a Springfree trampoline and you get a fair bit of lateral movement over low-speed bumps. Again, this is not unusual for a vehicle of this type.
What is unusual is the way this separate-frame SUV tackles corners. The steering is precise, the chassis really quite tenacious over demanding tarmac. Sure, there’s the roll and pitch you expect from a vehicle with such a high centre of gravity, but you can press on with confidence.
But you still wouldn’t buy the Rexton G4 as an urban SUV. It’s an impressive package with a lot of presence, but you’d need to have out-of-the-way places to visit or big things to tow to justify living with the rugged feel.
For that reason, it’s hard to see where next year’s 2.0-litre petrol, RWD model will fit in. Unless the chassis has been substantially fettled to tame the ride, to reflect its on-road-only application.
The SPR costs an extra $8000 over the Sport and initially that seems like a lot: they share the same powertrain and both ride on 20-inch alloy wheels. But the SPR spend is partly accounted for by that luxury kit and a suite of active safety equipment. The SPR (and only the SPR) has Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Assist, Forward Collision Warning and High Beam Assist for the headlights.
It won’t be for everybody, but even in SPR form the Rexton G4 is a lot of vehicle for the money especially when you factor in a 150,000km, five-year warranty.