Ssangyong Rexton long-term test review: report 4

Our chief photographer needs a car that's spacious, comfortable and can go anywhere. Could the seven-seat Ssangyong Rexton be just the thing?...

Ssangyong Rexton 2021 long-term off-road

The car Ssangyong Rexton 2.2 Ultimate Run by John Bradshaw, chief photographer

Why it’s here To find out if you can run a big, rugged SUV without it costing the earth 

Needs to Tackle all terrains in any weather, cut the mustard as a photographer’s workhorse, and prove comfortable and economical on a mix of journeys


Mileage 3835 List price £40,705 Target Price £40,705 Price as tested £42,150 Test economy 34.2mpg 


22 July 2021 – Drinking in moderation

When I chose my Ssangyong Rexton, I was under no impression that it was anything other than a heavyweight four-wheel drive SUV. That was what I wanted, after all. And when flirting with such a purchase, you have to accept that the running costs will be higher than you might face with smaller, less purposeful machines that might not shrug off all-weather, all-terrain use quite so nonchalantly as the Rexton.

2021 Ssangyong Rexton LT fording stream

Nevertheless, I’ve been relieved to find that the Rexton’s official fuel consumption of 32.9mpg turns out to be rather pessimistic. I calculated 34.2mpg after the last fill, and have routinely seen 33mpg or higher since I took delivery. I've mostly been using the rear-wheel drive mode so far, and that's bound to have helped.

Ssangyong Rexton 2021 ratio selector


Yes, that’s a fair way short of the 39mpg I was enjoying in my previous SUV, a Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, but, while that car was by no means a lightweight, the Rexton is rather more heavy duty. It beats the Volkswagen’s 2500KG towing limit by a full tonne, for starters, and will carry an extra 65kg of freight inside (770kg versus 705kg). I’d say that its greater appetite for work excuses its heavier thirst.

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