SsangYong Rexton Review & Buyers Guide

SsangYong Rexton Review & Buyers' Guide

Rate this article -

( 1 Vote )

£15,990 – £17,490

Available as	Engine options	Volume (m³)	Payload (kg)	MPG
Van	2.7TD 165hp	2.3	740	TBA

Our Verdict

Certainly worth further investigation at this sort of price point.

Anybody in search of a four-wheel drive van might be surprised at the suggestion that they should visit their nearest SsangYong dealership. It could be a visit worth making, however, given the South Korean manufacturer’s line-up.

Among the products in the company’s catalogue is the Rexton C-S. Based on the five-door Rexton car, but with a load bed rather than rear seats, it boasts a 2.2m³ cargo area and can deal with a hefty 740kg payload.

Power is provided by a 2.7-litre diesel generating 165hp/340Nm coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox. An automatic box can be specified instead.

Good to see a well equipped cab — climate control is included in the deal — with a comfortable driving position. It’s a shame, however, that some of the features look a bit low-rent and flimsy.

On the highway the five-cylinder diesel wafts you along with the minimum amount of fuss. Shame it doesn’t come with a six-speed ’box, but at least the five-speeder’s change is dependable.

rexton3

The cab is well insulated from external noise and the suspension seems more than able to soak up the worst of what Britain’s poorly-maintained roads can throw at it.

Sharp handling is not Rexton’s strong suit, alas. It wallows floppily through corners and the nervous, over-light steering makes it difficult to correct things.

Of-road it’s another story. Rexton happily grinds its way up muddy embankments without pausing to draw breath, with Hill Descent Control making life a lot easier when you have to negotiate your way down slippery slopes.

Four-wheel drive engages automatically with a knob on the dashboard allowing a low ratio set of gears to be selected.

A three-year/60,000-mile warranty protects Rexton and service intervals are set at 10,000 miles.