KGM Rexton review

The KGM Rexton is a seven-seater that also offers the off-road capabilities most SUVs miss out on. For example, all versions have four-wheel drive and enough power for a 3,500kg towing capacity.

On top of that, this is a vast car – bigger even than a Mercedes GLC – and all for around the same price as many smaller models.

Indeed, the comparatively luxurious surroundings of the Rexton should have no trouble transporting your family to the supermarket – even if that involves terrain you’d usually need, say, an Ineos Grenadier or Land Rover Defender to get across.

It all sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well, if you want to know whether the KGM Rexton (previously known as the Ssangyong Rexton) really deserves to be on your seven-seat SUV shopping list, read on...

KGM has kept things simple with the Rexton, offering just one engine and gearbox. The powerplant is a 199bhp 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel that, on paper, has a decent slug of torque to get you moving.

Don’t expect the Rexton to be particularly brisk though: all models weigh more than two tonnes without passengers.

To be fair, it does feel a little quicker than the 10.7 seconds 0-60mph time might suggest, although it’s worth pointing out that all versions of the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento are much quicker.

You can still get up to motorway speeds in the Rexton without too much trouble, but the engine is noisy if you put your foot to the floor, only settling into the background hum when cruising.

The eight-speed automatic gearbox is at its happiest when you’re driving sedately. It shifts gently between ratios, but can also be very slow to kick down if you need to pick up speed quickly. There's a manual override, but it acts as a gentle suggestion as to what gear the box should be in rather than selecting the one you want.

As for the ride and handling, the news is not great. Even on the Rexton’s smallest 18in wheels with balloon-like sidewalls, the ride is surprisingly stiff.

If you drive over a crumbling urban road, you’ll find yourself jostled around, and even on an apparently smooth motorway, you feel every ripple, expansion joint and pothole, whereas the Kia Sorento will just shrug off such imperfections, especially when paired with smaller wheels.

That might be excusable if the Rexton handled well, but it can’t hide its significant bulk. When you steer in to a bend quickly, it leans noticeably, and it doesn’t take much speed to have the tyres squealing for mercy. The steering is very vague, too, so you have to make multiple steering inputs to get it round corners.

The Hyundai Santa Fe and Skoda Kodiaq offer a much more controlled, car-like driving experience (although without the off-road cred).

While the Rexton’s bulk counts against it in most areas, it is a strong tow car and can pull a 3,500kg braked trailer. That figure is comparable to many pick-up trucks and several much more expensive SUVs.

The four-wheel drive system with a low-ratio box should help the car cope well with off-road excursions.

"The Rexton feels punchier than its official performance stats would suggest but I'd struggle to live with the unsettled ride." – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

You sit high up in the KGM Rexton, with a similarly commanding view of the road ahead as in the Ineos Grenadier.

The driver's seat has standard eight-way electric adjustments with lumbar support and height control, plus the wheel can be moved in, out, up and down enough for most people to find a comfortable position.

It can be tricky to judge where the front of the vehicle ends, and we found that the over-the-shoulder view was restricted by the very thick rear screen pillars. At least front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are fitted as standard, with K40 models also getting an all-round camera.

Given the bulk per buck you get in the Rexton, you might expect the interior to be particularly low-rent but that's not the case. There’s a good spread of soft-touch plastics on the dashboard and areas you touch regularly, plus the buttons operate precisely.

A 12.3in digital driver's display replaces the analogue dials of before. It looks quite sharp but is not as configurable as the best systems out there, and takes ages to switch between screens.

Lower down the dashboard, there are harder plastics that are not as well finished but it’s unlikely you’ll come into contact with them regularly. All models have a leather-wrapped steering wheel and faux-leather seats, while K40 and K50 models get Napa leather seats.

All new Rextons have a 12.3in infotainment touchscreen with sat-nav, Bluetooth, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. It's not the fastest system but it is intuitive enough to use, the screen resolution is perfectly acceptable and the icons are large and easy to hit on the move.

"I found the Rexton's interior surprisingly plush and the suede accents on the range-topping K50 lend the dash some tactility." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Up front in the KGM Rexton you get a sizeable storage area under the front armrest, big door pockets and a tray for odds and ends in front of the gearlever. Head and leg room are very good and there’s loads of width, so you won’t be clanging elbows with your neighbour.

The middle row gets plenty of head room, leg room and width, but a high-set floor means it’s less comfortable than you might expect from the external dimensions. Anyone forced into the central seating position won’t want to be there for long because of the fold-down armrest protruding into their back.

The Hyundai Santa Fe and Peugeot 5008 are more versatile, with three separate seats that slide and recline individually – a feature the Rexton lacks.

Every Rexton gets seven seats as standard, with the rearmost ones accessed by folding the second row forwards – something that requires a bit of muscle for the front passenger seat to be far enough forward for clearance. The second row doesn't slide or recline like those in some rivals.

Once you’ve clambered into the third row, you’ll find enough space for children, but not enough for even short adults to be comfortable for anything more than a short journey. The thick rear screen pillars make it feel quite claustrophobic. A Peugeot 5008 is noticeably roomier and airier.

There’s enough boot space for a fairly big trip to the supermarket with all seven seats in place, and when the rear chairs are folded down, the cargo area is huge. A height-adjustable boot floor provides a relatively flat load area with all seats folded flat, and there's a storage area underneath it.

"Considering the Rexton is a big car I would have expected more room in the third row." – Dan Jones, Senior Road Tester

If we were judging this category solely on a pound-for-pound basis, the KGM Rexton would do very well. You get an awful lot of car for your money and the least expensive K30 models undercut the cheapest Hyundai Santa Fe by a significant amount of cash, despite offering a similar level of luxury.

You get all the kit you actually need and a few luxury items as well on our preferred entry-level K30 model. Upgrading to K40 is only worth it if you want plusher leather, ambient interior lighting and blind-spot detection. 

Running costs are less impressive. No version dips below 225g/km of CO2, so it's pricey for company car users with a hefty BIK tax rate. The official figures suggest it’ll do 32.9mpg at best. Based on the trip computer, we failed to better 30mpg in our test car.

Residual values are surprisingly good, and that should help lower your monthly PCP costs (future values are part of the finance equation). 

Euro NCAP hasn’t safety tested the Rexton, but you do get a decent amount of safety tech to help avoid a collision in the first place.

All versions get automatic emergency braking (AEB) and a lane departure warning. Mid-spec K40 Rextons add blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert to warn you if something is crossing your path as you reverse.

Every KGM model comes with a decent five-year, 100,000 mile warranty.

"You get a lot of car for the cash, but I'd expect it to be pricey to run.” – Darren Moss, Deputy Digital Editor

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