SsangYong Rexton

SsangYong Rexton
Face lifted SsangYong Rexton RX 200
Overview
Manufacturer	SsangYong Motor
Also called	Micro Rexton (Sri Lanka) Huanghai Aurora (China) Derways Aurora (Russia) Daewoo Rexton
Production	2001–present
Assembly	Pyeongtaek, South Korea Peliyagoda, Sri Lanka Pekan, Malaysia Naberezhnye Chelny, Russia (Sollers JSC) Vladivostok, Russia (Sollers JSC, since 2009) Chakan, India (Mahindra & Mahindra[1])
Designer	Italdesign Giugiaro
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size SUV
Body style	4-door SUV
Related	Mercedes-Benz M-Class W163
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,820 mm (111.0 in)
Length	4,720 mm (186 in)
Width	1,870 mm (74 in)
Height	1,830 mm (72 in)

The SsangYong Rexton is a mid-size SUV manufactured by the SsangYong Motor Company in since late 2001. It is based on the Mercedes-Benz M-Class W163 platform. This vehicle offers standard appointments such as quiet on-road performance, car-like handling, and off-road capability, and can be configured to seat seven people or as a five-seater. The car's design was also styled by Giorgietto Giugiaro's Italdesign studio.

In 2006, the model received style changes, along with more comfort and convenience and was then renamed the Rexton II.

Y200 (2001–2006)

SsangYong Rexton (Y200) RX290

SsangYong Rexton (Y200)

The SsangYong Rexton first generation was produced from 2001 to 2006. The car was available only with four-wheel drive and one of three engines: a 2.7 liter 121 kW (162 hp) / 342 N·m (252 lb·ft) common rail diesel, a 2.9 liter diesel and a 3.2 liter 162 kW (217 hp) / 310 N·m (229 lb·ft) petrol engine, all manufactured under license from Mercedes-Benz.

In the summer of 2003, the Rexton was introduced in Europe. Technically, it is based on a slightly extended chassis of the SsangYong Musso. Initially, it was only available with a choice of two engines: a 2.9-liter five-cylinder diesel with 120 hp (89 kW) and 3.2-liter gasoline engine with 220 hp (164 kW). Both engines were borrowed from the Musso which were licensed from Mercedes-Benz.

The transmission options for the diesel model were originally either a five-speed manual with a gearbox from the American company Tremec or a four-speed automatic with a gearbox from the Australian company BTR Automotive. The petrol model was only offered with the automatic transmission. In 2004 with the introduction of the 2.7 litre motor, a 5 speed Tiptronic gearbox (provided by Mercedes-Benz) became an optional extra with that engine.

Y250 (2006–2012)

SsangYong Rexton (Y250)

Interior of a Rexton II with an optional Kenwood entertainment system

In early 2006, SsangYong unveiled an upgraded Rexton. Codenamed the Y250, the vehicle features numerous technologies to reduce carbon emissions, such as a catalyzed diesel particulate filter and a variable geometric turbine turbo charger. Based on these upgrades, the South Korean Government classifies the 2008 Rexton as a low-emissions vehicle, making it eligible for an exemption from a quasi tax related to environmental standards for five years after the purchase of the vehicle.^[2] Other improvements include enhanced parking brake technology, a tire pressure monitoring system (as seen on the SsangYong WZ concept car), an electronic toll collection system and a forward collision warning and avoidance system.^[2]

In Malaysia, the Rexton Y250 was assembled by Competitive Supreme Sdn Bhd (CSSB),^[3] also the sole importer and distributor of SsangYong vehicles in Malaysia.

In 2008, Project Kahn, famous for tuning luxury and sports cars, presented a modified Rexton 270 SPR at the 2008 British International Motor Show. It was so well received that in 2009, it became part of the British SsangYong range. It features added kit, chrome highlights and a 'sportier' interior, but unusually, in the initial models, it does not have a radio/CD player, as it is intended that those that potential customers would want to put their own sound system in. However, the R-Line later gained a Kenwood double-din touch screen navigation system with steering wheel-mounted controls. The R-Line also has a more powerful version of the SsangYong 2.7 straight-five turbo diesel engine producing 186 PS and 402 Nm torque at 2,400rpm.^[4]

A revision called the Rexton W, was released in India in 2012 by Mahindra & Mahindra of which SsangYong is a subsidiary.^[5]

References

1. Mahindra to debut SsangYong Rexton in India on October 17 2014
2. "Ssangyong unveils new cars to rev up sales". Korea JoongAng Daily. 8 February 2010.
3. "Company Profile". SsangYong Malaysia. Retrieved 12 December 2012. In August 2006, just over four years after we began our operations, we launched the world's first CKD SsangYong Rexton II that was locally assembled in Pekan, Pahang.
4. "SsangYong Rexton R-Line (2009)". NetCarShow.com. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
5. 2012 SsangYong Rexton in India first drive

External links

• Official SsangYong Rexton (UK) website
• Official SsangYong Rexton (Malaysia) website
• Official SsangYong Rexton (Micro Cars) website