SsangYong Rexton G4 continues testing in India

Indian SUV master, Mahindra & Mahindra is preparing to commence the local production of the new generation SsangYong Rexton SUV in India in the third quarter of this year. It is already known that for the new generation Rexton, Mahindra has decided to ditch its Korean subsidiary SsangYong brand in India, as the brand name is not established here. Thus, the new generation Rexton will be launched in India under the Mahindra brand name. However, still now Mahindra is testing the Ssangyong branded G4 Rexton on the Indian roads. The recent spy pictures of the all new Rexton SUV shows that the same SsangYong Rexton G4 version is doing the test rounds on the roads of India, without any Mahindra specific changes. There is yet no confirmation regarding the naming of the new-gen SUV in the Indian market. While some are choosing to call it the new Mahindra Rexton, as per some speculations it might be branded as the Mahindra XUV700.

The new generation G4 SsangYong Rexton is the second generation model of the SUV, but the G4 represents fourth generation, that’s because the South Korean UV maker considers it to be as good as the 4th generation model, given its previous updates and vast improvements. The first-gen Rexton SUV launched in India under the SsangYong brand, the all new model will be rebadged as a Mahindra model for our market this time around. It will also not only a simply rebadged model, but will also come with some Indian specific design changes, which will also enable the model to fit into the Mahindra SUV family in a better way.

The all new Mahindra Rexton SUV marks itself apart from its Korean avatar with a different design for its front radiator grille that flaunts chrome and glossy black finished vertical slats within a glossy black frame for an aggressive look. It will also be flaunting a chrome finished bonnet appliqué, and needless to say will get Mahindra badging instead of the SsangYong badges.

The new G4 SsangYong Rexton has been launched in the Korean market in 5 and 7-seater configurations. However, in the Indian market, the all new Mahindra Rexton is expected to come in only the 7-seater configuration, as it is a flagship model. Under the hood, the SUV will get a 2.2 litre diesel motor that is capable of belting out 178 bhp of max power and 420 Nm of top torque. The engine will be paired to a Mercedes-Benz sourced 7 speed automatic gearbox, while a part-time 4-Wheel Drive system is expected to come as standard. In some international markets, the SsangYong Rexton G4 is also offered with a 6 speed manual transmission option.

Some of the primary noteworthy features of the all new Mahindra Rexton include HID headlights, LED Daytime Running Lights, electric sunroof, 8 inch touchscreen infotainment system along with GPS navigation, dual-zone automatic climate control, power parking brake and 9 airbags among much more.

The all ne Rexton will come to India via the CKD route from South Korea and will be locally assembled at Mahindra’s Chakan plant. The new Mahindra Rexton is likely to launch in India in October 2018 and will rival the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Isuzu MU-X.