“What’s in a name? That which we call a SsangYong by any other name would drive as sweet” is, perhaps unsurprisingly, not what Will Shakespeare wrote in Romeo & Juliet. But if he were an automotive journalist in 2024, that might have been what he penned instead.
You see, in 2023, SsangYong announced it would change its name to KG Mobility after a takeover by the KG Group. The company’s chairman Kwak Jea-sun claimed that its outgoing name “has a fandom with good memories, but it also has a painful image”.
It’s easy to see how they managed to gain that reputation. In the early ’90s, they struck a deal with Mercedes-Benz to use its engines and technology in SsangYong vehicles. The resulting cars were undoubtedly reliable but, and this is putting it lightly, poorly styled.
There have been various takeovers since – one by Daewoo, now General Motors Korea, and then India’s Mahindra Automotive – before KG Group took the reins in 2022 and steered it in this new direction. However, the vehicles still remain the same.
So too does the name here in Australia – well, sort of – with KGM SsangYong the new moniker. That’s because Australia is seen as one of the few markets where the brand doesn’t have as negative a connotation.
Vehicles like the 2024 Rexton are part of the reason why. Prices start at a flat $50,000 drive away for the entry-level ELX model, while this range-topping Ultimate stretches that to $59,000 drive-away. ABN holders can save themselves a grand on those figures.
There’s also a 36-month zero per cent finance offer with no deposit available until the end of February 2025. That’s astonishing value for what is a rather sophisticated 4×4 SUV with a ladder-frame chassis.
Boasting independent multi-link rear suspension, it offers far more refinement on-road than the traditional live rear axle of many rivals. As for the off-road part, it still has a dual-range transfer case to ensure it can handle itself far more than most owners are likely to push it.
Featuring a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, it makes a healthy 148kW and 441Nm, backed by the same slick eight-speed auto featured in many Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis models.
It’ll tow 3500kg braked too, although there’s only a part-time four-wheel drive system, unlike competitors like the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport or Ford Everest. On the road, the Rexton certainly feels like a smooth operator.
Much of this comes down to that suspension package, which eats up more of the bumps than you’d expect, as well as giving it fairly balanced handling through the corners. It won’t rival a unibody SUV for control, but it’s pretty damn good.
The outsourced transmission smooths out the power delivery and feels well tuned. Sure, it could do with more initial pickup from a standstill but the torque is concentrated right where you want it, at around the 2000rpm mark, especially for towing.
It’s perhaps no wonder so much of the brand’s marketing features a caravan or boat hitched up behind one. While we didn’t do any hardcore off-roading in it, we did hit a few easier trails, where it held its own well.
Between the suspension setup and its very-much on-road-focused tyres, it’s clearly geared more towards tarmac towing, but will do more than enough for the average person when the bitumen runs out.
On the inside, it’s surprisingly refined as well when you consider the price point, with its massive 12.3-inch infotainment display and fully-digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster besting many more expensive 4x4s.
The screen resolution is good, too, although you’ll still need a cable to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and the layout of it hasn’t been flipped around for right-hand drive. The basic infotainment system works fine, but is quite basic, with no inbuilt sat nav.
Although many of the controls are touch-capacitive rather than physical buttons, they too are nice and responsive. Fortunately, there are proper buttons for things like the 360-degree camera and drive mode selection, along with a rotary dial for 4WD controls.
There’s an electronic parking brake as well with an auto hold function. On the whole, the cabin feels genuinely well-made, with no rattles or squeaks to be heard. For the price point and the class, the overall fit and finish feels particularly impressive.
In both the mid-spec Adventure model and this range-topping Ultimate, you’ll find heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, and a heated steering wheel. There’s a good amount of space across all three rows.
There’s a tumble-down second-row seat arrangement for accessing the third, with this non-sliding arrangement meaning the third row isn’t quite as flexible as some for accommodating adults.
We do like the parcel shelf in the boot, which can be used to create a flat load area while still keeping some extra room beneath it. Boot space grows from 236-litres with all seats in place to 641-litres with the third row folded down, or 1806-litres when you drop both.
Impressively, the Rexton is covered by a 7-year unlimited kilometre warranty, with the first seven services capped. We saw fuel consumption of 9.6-litres/100km (8.7-litres claimed) over 688km of testing, which is right on the money for average in this class.
When you consider how many upstart brands have landed in Australia in the past couple of years and managed to find customers, the newly minted KGM deserves more of a look in as far as we’re concerned.
If this Rexton is anything to go by, it’s offering well-made, capable vehicles at an extremely competitive price point. Not just that, but it’s got years of experience, having learned from some of the best names in the game. We’re shocked you don’t see more of them around.
You can find out more on the KGM SsangYong website or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Credit One, Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by KGM SsangYong Australia for independent review purposes.
