SsangYong Rexton Review
Published: 12th February 2005
SsangYong Rexton
How It Drove - Performance
Our test car was fitted with the Mercedes-Benz licensed 2.7 litre diesel CRD engine, which is also seen in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and in the outgoing Mercedes-Benz M-Class. Some observers have commented that the engine is harsh and noisy, we think this a little unkind, the engine isn’t state of the art by today’s standards but it is relatively qiuet and refined. During our test week we achieved very near the manufacturers quoted 30 mpg combined figure, which is fairly frugal for a 4x4 of this size.
The Rexton is equipped with the Mercedes-Benz T-Tronic automatic 5-Speed gearbox, which also allows you to manually change gear by nudging the lever to the left or right. Gear changes are a relaxed affair and are quick and smooth throughout the range.
The Rexton isn’t particularly fast off the mark, with 0-62 mph coming in at 13.2 seconds but when you consider its kerb weight of 1994 kg this isn’t too bad. When pulling off or out of road junctions, it can take a few moments for the turbocharger to cut in, but when it does the Rexton is propelled forward and it does give you quite a kick - this is due to the engine's low down torque.
How It Drove - Ride/Handling
For a large 4x4 the ride is relatively good, although it is rather choppy on unsettled road surfaces. The rack-and-pinion steering is a little on the light side, but it is direct and responsive.
The Rexton does suffer from body roll, but it is better than the Jeep Grand Cherokee we had tested a few weeks earlier. Grip levels are good, in fact a lot better than you might expect and you can drive with some enthusiasm. The 2.7 SX Rexton is protected by ESP (electronic stability programme), which aids the driver should the car lose grip or go into a skid, which worked well when tested.
