Mahindra debuts SsangYong brand in India, launches Rexton

The last few years have seen Mahindra expand its automotive business into known and unknown territories by acquiring many companies. One among them is SsangYong, the South Korean manufacturer that recently went bankrupt, after which Mahindra took over, infused funds and stabilized its operations. Back in Korea, SsangYong's strength lies in its Sports Utility Vehicles, with models like Rexton and Korando leading the charge. So, it's only natural that Mahindra would want SsangYong to set foot in India, a market where Sports Utility Vehicles are a rage now.

Ending all speculations about which of those two models is going to launch the brand in India, Mahindra today launched SsangYong's flagship premium SUV Rexton W, the third and latest generation of the model. All set to compete with established models like Toyota Fortuner, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Ford Endeavour and Chevrolet Captiva, the SsangYong Rexton has its work cut out, especially considering the fact that Mahindra has to teach prospective Indian customers about how to spell the word 'S-s-a-n-g-Y-o-n-g' first. But the Rexton W fits perfectly into Mahindra's 'rise' strategy and slots above the XUV 500, Mahindra's first premium SUV that has been a tremendous success in the market.

Brought in as a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) unit from South Korea, the Rexton W is available in 2 variants - RX5 and RX7, priced at INR 17.67 and 19.67 Lakhs respectively, ex-showroom Mumbai. While both variants are powered by the same 2.7-liter, 5-cylinder diesel engine, it is tuned for different outputs. While it produces 162 bhp of power at 4000 rpm and 340 Nm of torque at 1800-3250 rpm in RX5 variant, the same engine produces 184 bhp of power at 4000 rpm and 402 Nm of torque between 1600-3000 rpm in the RX7 variant. Also, RX5 variant comes with a manual transmission and 2WD while the RX7 comes with a Mercedes-sourced automatic transmission and All Wheel Drive (AWD).

Unlike both the earlier generation models that had an inherent quirkiness in their design, the new Rexton W neatly does away from it and, in fact, looks quite contemporary. The front end especially, with its huge chrome grille, projector headlights and L-shaped parking lights, does lend a premium look and feel to the Rexton. Though the profile and rear do not carry the same premium touch, the forward-sloping C-Pillars, LED taillamps and the huge 'Rexton' name embossed in the tail gate does look interesting. Going by the pictures released by Mahindra, the interiors of the Rexton seems to be made of high-quality materials and justifies its tag as a premium SUV.

The Rexton W comes fully loaded with even features like 8-way electrically adjustable driver's seat, memory presets for driver's seat and rear view mirrors, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, four airbags, cruise control, Hill Descent Control, touch screen infotainment system with inbuilt GPS, Electronic Stability Program, electric sunroof with sun blind, leather upholstery and parking sensors being a part of the list. No, we haven't mistakenly typed a Mercedes feature list here. All these are indeed available in the Rexton W at your nearest Mahindra dealership.

Can Mahindra repeat its XUV 500 success story with the even-more-premium SsangYong Rexton W? Will Indians pay more than 20 Lakh Rupees on a Mahindra product? Will the Rexton make a dent in Toyota Fortuner's utter dominance of the premium SUV segment? Let's keep our fingers crossed.