Test Drive Rexton Sports - budget SUV for real off-road
The 2018 Ssangyong Motor Rexton Sports sport utility vehicle being driven on a road pitched at 30-degrees, during a test drive in Gangwon Province this week. / Courtesy of Ssangyong Motor
By Park Jae-hyuk
CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province ― The 2018 Ssangyong Motor Rexton Sports sport utility vehicle (SUV) seems affordable and powerful enough to attract young adults who have yet to forget their childhood dreams of enjoying dynamic leisure activities.
Available in the price range of 23.5 million won ($22,000) to 30.9 million won, the new model has a 1,011-liter-capacity open deck and shares the same platform with the 2017 G4 Rexton SUV.
As did its predecessor, the Rexton Sports SUV also proved its all-round drivability while being driven through formidable obstacles on a 15-minute off-road course at a campsite on Sonamiseom Island in Chuncheon.
The e-XDi220 low-end torque diesel engine produces a maximum of 181 horsepower with 40.8 kg-m torque and enables the large-size vehicle to be easily driven up a 30-degree angle.
According to Ssangyong, the vehicle has 5.6 times more power on grades than its rivals do because of its locking differential.
The hill descent control system seems to be more useful for drivers on long-distance downward grades than on drives on short steep hills, given the system automatically puts on the brakes on a flat grade.
The SUV could also be driven on a road with a pitch of 30 degrees.
On bumpy ground and on mounds it went through the obstacles, even with some of its wheels not touching the ground.
A steady speed and careful driving were required to maneuver around the mounds, but the four-wheel drive mode based on the 4-Tronic system allowed an inexperienced driver to get around the obstacles without difficulty.
Slamming on the brakes suddenly on an icy road, the anti-lock braking system helped the driver bring the vehicle to a safe stop even if the car is not equipped with snow tires and the driver did not hold the steering wheel.
Although the diesel powered SUV was driven off-road, noise was not a big issue, except for the sound of gravel hitting the undercarriage of the SUV.
Ssangyong said the large rubber engine mounts minimized the influx of engine noise in the interior.
The carmaker also offered an 83-kilometer test drive on a route including the Seoul-Yangyang Expressway.
Driven on a smooth road, the diesel engine is noisy, but not annoying.
As some users of the G4 Rexton criticized the car for its ride quality, the new model rides with a small tremor the driver and passengers can feel during high-speed driving.
The weightiness of the SUV could be felt through the steering wheel during the two-wheel drive mode on the highway.