The KGM brand, formerly SsangYong, returned to Russia with four models at once. The largest, most expensive and flagship is the Rexton frame SUV. This is exactly what the South Korean company did best. Izvestia found out how the Rexton goes and why conservatives will like it.
KGM Rexton: what kind of car is this
SsangYong produced simple, honest SUVs, and the risky design experiments of British Kenneth Greenlee did it a disservice. However, it didn't stop right away. Even when Italians from Italdesign took over the look of the very first Rexton, it still turned out to be pretentious. Now the Koreans are blowing on the water. The current generation of the flagship, the fifth in a row, looks even too modest.
Dimensions of KGM Rexton: 4850×1960×1825 mm, wheelbase — 2865 mm. The declared ground clearance is 203 mm.
The only thing that can be called an undoubted design success is "individual" bumpers. Moreover, due to the characteristic pattern of the false radiator grille, the Rexton looks like an enlarged Chery Tiggo 8 Pro crossover. This is probably a hint of KGM's cooperation with the Chinese concern, which is becoming closer and closer. The SUV does not stand out in the stream, and many do not recognize it as a new model. Only the attentive will notice the nostalgic nameplate and the equally nostalgic Rexton inscription.
The interior can also be ordered in beige.
SsangYong car sales stopped back in 2019, and deliveries even earlier, but it seems that there was no pause for several years and the company that changed its name simply continued from the same place where it left off. Ignoring the general fascination with double-decker optics, touch controls, and electrification. In fact, it is: the fifth Rexton is an upgrade of the fourth generation machine, introduced in 2017. It was shown in 2020, and in 2023 it was slightly updated: the front panel became more modern, a digital dashboard, a separate "tablet" of the multimedia system, a touch unit, climate control, contour lighting appeared. In this form, Rexton appeared in Russia.
KGM Rexton: interior and trunk
The Rexton is a frame SUV with an uncut rear axle, similar to the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Toyota Fortuner, Oting Paladin and Haval H9. Under the hood is a two—liter gasoline turbo engine paired with a classic 6-speed automatic. The interior is modest — the only decorations are silver plastic and "piano" lacquer. But it is assembled with high quality, a lot of soft panels with stitching, and genuine leather is used in the top-of-the-line equipment for seat trim. The graphics of the displays are dim, which I rather liked — my eyes don't get tired at night.
The maximum speed is 185 km/h. The stated average consumption is 10.4 liters per 100 km.
The only touch screen here is a multimedia touchscreen and a climate control unit, which beeps like a Chinese alarm clock when pressed, but responds quite adequately. All other keys are physical, the all-wheel drive is connected by a washer, and the old-school selector of the machine moves along a winding groove. A conservative's dream, no less.
The driver's seat does not fix the body tightly, but the profile of the backrest is good — you can adjust the height of the pillow and the height of the lumbar support. My back doesn't get tired on a long road. Passengers in the second row are comfortable with a high sofa cushion, plenty of legroom, and overhead seating. To make it easier to get into the second row, there are handles on the racks, for some reason the handle is not allowed for the front passenger. It is more difficult for him to get into a tall car.
The Rexton has a huge trunk that could accommodate an additional third row of seats, but only a five-seat version is offered for Russia. The trunk is equipped with niches, trays, fixing rubber bands and a soft curtain, which is becoming rare for Chinese brands. There are options for transforming the luggage compartment. The backs of the second row can be folded and the trunk floor can be placed higher — then an almost flat area and a roomy underground are formed. Or fold the seats completely and install them vertically.
KGM Rexton: features
Previously, the SsangYong brand used licensed Mercedes engines and transmissions, now Rexton uses its own 2.0 L engine (225 hp and 350 Nm), and the Japanese Aisin six-speed automatic. This bundle quickly accelerates a heavy car weighing over 2 tons, but only if the power label is on the dashboard. It's strange that there are only three driving modes.: eco (eco-friendly), winter (winter) and power (power), but there is no normal or comfortable mode. The absence of "semitones" affects the character of the car. If power is turned on, the car readily responds to the gas, but in the urban crowd the gas is too harsh, and the machine twitches. In turn, there are no significant savings in eco mode. However, the consumption for a large car with a not very advanced transmission turned out to be moderate — 11-12 liters per 100 km. It drops noticeably on the highway.
The Rexton, surprisingly for a large-frame SUV, is not bad in highway conditions, holds the straight line well, and does not bother with noise. Moreover, the windows of the car are single, but it is still quiet. For some reason, the steering wheel with power steering becomes noticeably heavy when cornering, trying to straighten the trajectory. In general, taxiing is not the most favorite exercise for the Rexton. He doesn't like speed bumps either — you need to significantly slow down, otherwise the suspension will work them out pretty hard. But the Rexton rides quite confidently on a broken road, and the steering wheel is insulated from vibrations. The presence of a downshift inspires some confidence, but the SUV is devoid of inter-wheel locks.
KGM is also producing a diesel version of the Rexton with rear independent suspension, which may roll better. However, it will not be available in Russia — due to the volume of the 2.2-liter engine, the waste collection for such a car turned out to be too high.
KGM Rexton: the price for detox
When you get into Rexton, you get a detox from a radically changed reality. This is the first non-Chinese novelty in several years with official support and warranty. The most ordinary car for conservatives and those who are tired of Chinese high-tech. He does not give reasons for HYPE, except perhaps for the price. You will have to pay 6.8 million rubles for the base car, and 7.2 million rubles for the top—end car. This is a lot even for the current price order. It is clear that with complex logistics and various related payments, the car will be significantly cheaper to make. However, let's recall that SsangYong already failed in 2017 due to too high price tags. Whether Russians are now ready to pay so much for detox is a big question.
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