Budget 4x4 7 seater SUV :: SURPRISE luxury interior! SsangYong Rexton 2023 review (KG Mobility)

You won't believe some of the bling on offer in the SsangYong Rexton.

This seven-seater SUV is from Korea's "OTHER" brand, and it has a lot going for it for those buyers who want a 4x4 three-row family SUV with a low price tag, a long warranty, heap of standard equipment and a strong diesel engine.

You really can't do much better than the Rexton -- unless you really prioritise active safety technology and you must buy a car with a crash test safety rating.

This large SUV is a real surprise package, even a few years after the launch of this Ssangyong SUV. And with the KG Mobility rebranding due to occur in Australia in a few months, the time could be right to get your hands on one of the last new SSANGYONG models sold!

--

00:00 Intro
00:34 Is it the right price?
02:13 What's the best competitor?
03:18 Is it the right size?
04:25 Interior
09:23 Under the bonnet
10:06 Driving
12:43 Efficiency
13:10 Is it safe?
14:12 Ownership
14:53 Verdict

--

I am aiming to review every new car on the market that people actually buy, to help new-car customers like you, or curious car enthusiasts (maybe also like you) get the right steer when it comes to choosing a new set of wheels.

If you're looking for a car for yourself, monitoring the market and hunting for the latest info, or even if you've just bought your new car and you're looking to see what experts like me think about it, The Right Car will offer you something of value.

I'm aiming to upload a review or two per week, so if you have any specific cars you want me to take a look at, please feel free to leave a comment. Any feedback on my content is welcome, and you can feel free to email me or hit me up on social media.

I'm eager to see this new channel grow, and it can only do that with your support and feedback - so please let me know if there's anything you don't like, want more of, or would like to see changed. I'd love to hear from you.

Follow The Right Car on social media to see what I'm up to and to ask any questions!

The Right Car:

#ssangyong #rexton #review

[nigelelliott]

Just towed a 3 ton caravan for 13000k's with a 2022 Rexton Ultimate and it didn't miss a beat brilliant

[Superfan_]

Brought one last year. Very good value for money. Fit and finish is great. Interior is pretty luxurious. NVH is excellent. Highly recommended.

[nicholasolsson]

I bought one, used it for towing, never as a Severn seater. Yes it has a bit of lag, but you adapt and drive around it. It can be very economical, I.e driven gently it can get me into the city and use 6.5l/100. 8.5 is an open road average. Services are more than the so called capped price, that $375 is gust for an oil change, there is always diff oil or something else that is required and costs extra, expect to pay $680. Suspension can be brutal on poor roads, I upgraded to the aftermarket iron man suspension and it improved, but it’s still hard sometimes. When I bought the new Everest was about a year away, but in hindsight the Rexton has been good, and I doubt I will upgrade to the Everest. I test drove all the other competitors, I.e. pajero sport and Toyotas version, but they just weren’t as nice and significantly more $.

[setiahyeung]

I have a top end Rexton in NZ (2019) and while you can't compare cost, service annually costs me $650. However trying to get warrant information has been a struggle. And agree with the small screen which at times can lag. The Rexton does lag when taking off and feels like a tank. But in saying that, the Rexton does what I brought it for (travelling etc.) and the 2023 is a step up from the 2019 version. Thanks for the review.

[tacorevenge]

Great car. Rexton’s suspension is way much better than Pajero’s suspension

[paulbusfield]

Yes I would choose a rexton and I have one now and I am really enjoying it ! Good on snowy tracks which I found myself in UK lake District last November ! Iperformed really well, been in a field were it was used as a car park ! It rained and had no problems getting off the field ! Great on long journeys, motorways ! I highly recommend the ssangyong rexton ultimate plus ! Good review 👌👍

[ianwilkinson]

We have a 2020 Rexton bought as a demonstrator which we tow a 22 feet caravan with, very econonical with no problems . I would buy a new one without a second thought but why bother when this one is so good. P.S. I've been a mechanic all my life,

[tonydcurrawong]

I own the exact same car as this - LOVE IT!

[lintongloster]

I've had my vehicle since Nov 2022, and love it, towing is great and driven Melb to Sydney return and was great driving all day.

[ahh]

Great review and a great car that’s well built and nice to drive

[edjones]

Had a rexton ultimate for about 6 months now. Generally good car for the money, although agree if you can stretch to it, an Everest ambiente would be a better buy.
That said the rexton feels solid and well made and is reasonably comfortable. Love the heated and cooled seats! Ride on the 18s is liveable.
That media screen really annoys me though. It’s true that on bright sunny days it can be virtually invisible rendering the camera or CarPlay useless. Why Ssangyong clearly put so much effort into the interior and then massively cheaped out on such an important thing as the central screen is beyond me. It really lets the interior down. My bottom of the range 4 yr old vw polo screen is light years better.

[raysater]

The Everest has a long waiting list for if you want one sooner they up the price by $20000.00 a rip off.
That’s Whois bought a Rexton and for the money I love it.
I tow a three ton van with it and towed better then my Colorado

[Coastmac]

Ssangyong, Mahindra, Kia or Hyundai . All are decent choices & all cater for different budgets.

[deanviall]

they canned the capped servicing recently, plus it was never capped servicing, it was a fixed price for the basic service and any extras above oil and filters is charged extra. So many people were faced with $600+ servicing in the first couple of years only to find it isnt actually capped, but, regardless, the cancelled that completely now anyway.

I think the lag in take-off is transmission/torque converter not turbo lag. Anyone have an opinion on the cause of the lag?

[andrechanthery]

great review!!!, you are right about the tyres they are crap, will be looking to replace with some good AT.

[Waheeda-kllt]

This car looks very amazing and out-standing. Great work

[mindfreeze]

That price for a 7 seat suv with 4x4 capabilities is damn good. Couple things:
1.You said the curtain airbags dont go all the way to the back, but in the second row I think I saw airbag tags on th side of the seats
2. The rear load area is a issue for me personally, dont get that that load shelf is a bit high, looks flimsy and makes it look like its got a battery underneath.
3.As you correctly pointed out the steering wheel is almost big like a bus's and angled in the same manner. Ive seen that funny enough ive seen that on a 7 seat MPV thats not available in your market. Its strange but not as unique these days. To me it just means its harder to be an idiot behind the wheel.
3. For a value brand its kind of mean you have to go for the top spec to get air vents in the 3rd row, something that you get in the pricier competition as standard. Not having a source of ventilation in the 3rd row of a big car like this isnt going to be great in the warmer months. Even a blower at the top would have been better.

All in all, yeah if you dont have Pajero Sport or Everest money and need a 7 seat suv with 4x4 this is your only bet.

[Booki]

Anymore info about this shudder you experienced? Was it under certain road conditions or was the road irrelevant

[zloj-volk]

Good value for money. Known issues with suspension are fixed by the aftermarket one. But I would like to have a solid rear axle and cloth interior without 3rd row. In a such specification and with decreased price it would be the best choice on the market. At least for me))))
And that lagging with moving from stand still I guess conducted with ecological requirements (damping throttle)

[metalmick]

I think you made some valid points during the review, not the least was the lower level of compared to the Everest. I think though, that the Everest is a newer vehicle with a significantly higher price tag than the Rexton. I drove a Rexton a couple of years ago and didn't experience the driving issues that you did - I thought it was quite good with spritely take-off. That said, if a company gives a reviewer a malfunctioning vehicle...not so good. I'd strongly consider one of these, and pocket the $25-30k savings (or roughly $300/month in lease payments with salary sacrifice) over the Everest (at an equivalent feature set) if it got a bit more safety gear and also adaptive cruise control. I also think the 7-seat option isn't relevant to most buyers because I have never seen any 7-seat SUV with a full complement of passengers - the most I can recall is 4. I don't know why this is such a strong marketing tool, although I'm sure a few people will tell me I'm dead wrong because _they_ use _theirs_ fully -loaded. Thanks for an interesting and thoughtful review.