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Not pretty but popular

Thursday, 12 June 2008

Ssangyong has a reputation for building massive diesel jeeps, all of which may not be very pretty, but they are still very popular.
One of the most popular is the Rexton and the Korean manufacturer has recently introduced a Rexton mark II.
It’s billed as a seven-seater, but I suppose most people will use it as a five-seater and utilise the extra space at the back for carrying all sorts of items. There is also a handy covered section at the end of the boot to carry tools etc.
The main external difference in this new model is the front-end which now includes a new bumper and lights. Inside, an electrically-controlled driver’s seat is available on higher-specification SX models.
The suspension has also been reworked and the Mercedes-Benz five-speed automatic gearbox can now be shifted manually by using either a thumb shift on the gear lever or buttons mounted on the steering wheel.
It really is a massive jeep and as I have often said before on these pages you wouldn’t want to be suffering from arthritis to climb on board. But once inside the cabin the views of the road and indeed the fields along the road are brilliant. And if you sit in the back you feel very important as the windows are tinted. Overall you will feel like a king of the road or king of the off-road, whichever you choose.
Naturally the first thing you grab when you sit in the driver’s seat is the steering wheel. And I think you will like the grip of the Rexton’s steering wheel. It’s half-leather, half shiny material and I liked it. There is a huge console for storing items located between the driver and passenger.
When you are used to a manual car, then it’s sheer luxury to move up to an automatic model. However, the first person you must think of is Christy Browne and his famous left foot. Don’t use yours. Otherwise your forehead and that of your passenger will soon come in contact with the windscreen as you hit what you think is the clutch with your left foot, but of course it’s the brake. So the motto is, if going automatic forget your left foot.
There is plenty of leg room for driver and passenger and also for three people in the second row of seats. The third row would be ideal for young children, but you would need to keep them happy with ipods or play stations on long journeys as they would hardly get a word in on the conversation being that far back.
You get plenty of power in that 2.7 engine, but in a massive jeep like this it’s nice to know that you also have an Electronic Stability Program (ESP), which can really be a life-saver in case you need to break suddenly. You also get other extras like cruise control.
The only slight criticism I would have is the controls for the radio, which are very small and difficult to use. Kia had a similar problem with their radios, but they now provide decent sized dials. Ssangyong would do well to follow the example of their Korean colleagues.
Prices start at e44,995 for the 2.7 standard model, while the automatic model I drove costs e54,995.

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