SsangYong Rexton Review

The tailgate has the added benefit of a glazed area that opens independently of the lower, metalled section allowing easy access, in tight spaces, to the 1,088-litre capacity boot. Within this load space and just behind the rear seats is a hidden compartment formed by the floor sloping under the second row of seats, while a platform covers the gap, forming a level floor.

The top surface is carpeted but when the Velcro fastening is unhooked, to access the spare registration plate for instance, the bare carpentry is revealed as an example of cost-cutting measures. It could be argued that the platform should have had better finishing in place of the removable webbed ‘bulkhead, which is a standard feature.

The rear seats of this five-seat SsangYong Rexton have a 60:40 split and fold feature and when in use they provide a comfortable ride with plenty of legroom.

At the front, the seats are well contoured and supportive with mechanical height adjustment for the driver. The door armrests are quite chunky, which is great for comfort but can limit elbow room when manoeuvring. The large, leather covered steering wheel is adjustable for rake only and even people of an average height might find it difficult to find a comfortable driving position as, in order to reach the pedals and fully depress the clutch, you find yourself too close to the steering wheel.

That aside, the front of the cabin feels open and the fascia has a smart appearance. The centre console is compact and tidy with no brash metallic highlights to spoil the lines. In the test car, it housed a Kenwood, single CD/RDS radio with a removable face and chunky secondary controls on the steering wheel. Because of its size, the buttons are small and annoyingly, fiddly. A full touch-screen, single CD/radio and navigation system is available as an option, throughout the range. The rest of the console is taken up by the controls for the climate control air-conditioning and various buttons in a strip.

The central tunnel contains two cup-holders ahead of the gearshift and another pops out of the armrest-cum-storage bin between the front seats, which is capable of holding at least 10 CD cases.

There are two trim levels; S and SPR. The S specification sheet lists electric windows, front and rear; electric folding and heated door mirrors and 16-inch alloys amongst the standard features. The SPR adds auto-tilt door mirrors, automatic headlights and wipers, rear parking sensors, 18-inch alloys, side steps, heated leather seats (the driver’s has a 3-position memory) and a sunroof, amongst other things.

The 2.7-litre, diesel engine powers all of the Rexton's. The 5-speed T-Tronic ‘box is the only choice on the SPR model and an alternative to the 5-speed manual transmission for the S. We tested the manual transmission, which has good ratios but tends to baulk at times.