Mahindra launched the SsangYong Rexton in India back in 2012. However, its innings in India was rather forgettable. This time around, SsangYong unveiled an all-new generation of its SUV, G4 Rexton, at the 2017 Seoul Motor Show. It’s likely to come to India early next year and here's what you should know about this new SUV.
New design language
The new design language, dubbed ‘dignified motion’, is inspired by nature. It now gets projector headlamps with LED daytime running lamps (DRLs), a slim hexagonal grille, LED fog and cornering lamps at the front and also gets 20-inch alloy wheels. It measures 4,850mm in length, 1,960mm in width, 1,825mm in height and comes with a wheelbase of 2,865mm. These dimensions make it shorter in length and height when compared to the Ford Endeavour but wider than it and with a longer wheelbase too.
Spacious cabin
SsangYong boasts that this car can carry five occupants and accommodate four golf bags at the same time. The luggage room ranges from 784- to 1,977-litres. Internationally, it is available as a five-seater, but, for India, there’s likely to be a seven-seater version as well.
Feature-packed
This one comes with features such as a 9.2-inch HD screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 360-degree camera, 7.0-inch LCD instrument cluster, cooled seats wrapped in Nappa leather, smart tailgate, auto door locking – when the key is detected moving away from the car – and an easy access which adjusts the driver seat when the door is opened.
New diesel engine and Mercedes gearbox
The G4 Rexton is powered by an e-XDi220 four-cylinder diesel engine that makes 187hp and 420Nm of torque. It’s paired with a seven-speed torque-converter automatic sourced from Mercedes-Benz. It has a kerb weight of 2,095kg, which is nearly 300kg lighter than the Endeavour 3.2L. This SUV is off-road ready with four-wheel drive. For certain markets, there’s also an e-XGDI200T petrol engine that comes with a six-speed automatic gearbox.
Tougher yet lighter
It is built on a ladder-frame chassis that uses 81.7 percent high-strength steel, which is strong yet lightweight. The new quad-frame body, jointly developed with POSCO, is made of a 1.5 GPa-grade advanced high-strength giga steel that helps in substantial weight reduction and is claimed to reduce the impact on the other vehicle in the event of a collision.
Expected price and competition check
The new Rexton is likely to make its India debut at the Auto Expo 2018. It will be a direct rival, like its predecessor, to segment stalwarts including the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour. Currently, Mahindra is doing the math to see if this latest Ssangyong, locally made in one of its plants, can meet a very aggressive cost target. It is likely to price the SUV at least Rs 4 lakh lower than its direct rivals and is quite confident about meeting that target. Also, there are chances that the new vehicle could be branded a Mahindra, possibly an XUV700.
Also read:
2017 SsangYong G4 Rexton review