Auto Expo is a mega event held in India wherein car makers from different parts of the world showcase their products. The biennial event is also the largest motor show held in Asia, besides from donning the title of being world's second largest. During the year 2012, the 11th edition of Auto Expo was held in New Delhi and that show marked the presence of prominent auto makers spanning across different parts of the globe. Amongst the new entrant to the show was SsangYong company, which is acquired by home-grown Mahindra & Mahindra. The manufacturer showcased its vehicles for the first time in the Indian auto market and announced that its models like Rexton and Korando will be among the first ones to feature in the Indian car market for the company.
Since then, car enthusiasts were eagerly waiting for arrival of Rexton and the model was finally launched in October 2012. At present, Ssangyong Rexton is offered in two trim levels for the Indian car market, namely RX5 and RX7. Both of these versions of the SsangYong Rexton are equipped with diesel engines. Coming to the specifications of RX5, the car is powered by a RX270Di 5-cylinder diesel motor that displaces 2696 cc. In terms of output, the engine of RX5 generates a peak output of 162 bhp at 4000 rpm while having an ability to reach a torque of 340 Nm. The 5-speed manual transmission of SsangYong Rexton RX5 further transmits the power to the wheels. While the other model named as RX7 is provided with a RX270 XVT engine, which produces 184 bhp at 4000 rpm and up to 402 Nm of torque. The RX7 variant also features the all-wheel drive system which is available in a 5-speed automatic transmission option.
On looking at the design aspect of the car, Rexton boasts of a masculine appearance. On the front, the car is provided with a chrome accentuated grille that gives it a bold and distinctive appearance. The car gets Eagle-Eye-shaped projector headlamps to give the car an unique look apart from assisting the driver to have a clear view of the road. In the exterior designing, the car is provided with stylish bumpers, integrated fog lamps, LED turn signal indicators, optical rear view mirrors, chrome side mouldings and silver coloured roof rails. The car maker laid much emphasis on exquisitely designing the car from inside by giving dual-tone interiors, metal grain accents and plush leather seats.
For the comfort and convenience of the driver, Rexton is provided with 8-way electrical adjustable seat. In terms of entertainment, Rexton gets a touchscreen infotainment system that is compatible with DVD, USB and AUX-in. The screen provided at the dashboard supports formats like DivX, MPEG and MPEG2, which can be used for watching videos. Some of other features include GPS navigation system, steering mounted audio controls and keyless entry system.
SsangYong Rexton carries an ex-showroom price of Rs. 18.7 lakh that further goes up till Rs. 21 lakh. With this price, SsangYong has mainly targeted the premium buyers of SUV segment. Since its launch, Rexton has been performing considerably well on considering the kind of competition that it is facing from SUVs like Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour.
