1 Jun 2003
REXTON, launched in South Korea in 2001, took pride of place on the Ssangyong stand at the 2003 Melbourne motor show.
Launched in the middle of that year, the full-sized, seven-seater SUV came in two specifications: Sport and Limited, with both variants available with either a 2.9-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel (RX290) or a 3.2-litre straight six petrol engine (RX320).
The petrol engine produces 162kW at 6100rpm and a peak torque of 312Nm at 4600rpm, while the turbo-diesel is good for 88kW at 4000rpm and 256Nm at 2250rpm.
Both engines are available with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions, mated to a low-range transfer case.
The Rexton is built on a traditional off-roader ladder-type chassis with a double wishbone front suspension and five-link rear-end.
In early 2004, a round of revisions saw the re-engineered RX270 five-cylinder turbo-diesel replacing the RX290. It delivers 121kW and 340Nm, through a sequential-shift five-speed automatic gearbox.
Meanwhile, the MY04-MY06 RX320’s power and torque outputs dropped to 160kW and 294Nm. It retained the four-speed automatic gearbox.
