Mahindra confirmed the launch of the fourth-gen
SsangYong Rexton in India at Auto Expo 2018. According to a report from The
Korea Herald, the company will start assembling the new SUV in India in the
second half of this year.
The third-gen SsangYong Rexton was imported in CKD
kits from South Korea and the plan for the fourth-gen SsangYong Rexton is the
same. Mahindra will assemble the mid-size SUV in Chakan, Maharashtra. This
time, the company will sell it with its own badge and a more familiar design.
The Mahindra Rexton has a different upper grille consisting of six vertical
chrome slats, with a gloss black frame and a wide horizontal chrome slat above
it.
The SsangYong Rexton is available in 5 and 7-seat
versions internationally. Mahindra will launch the 7-seat version in India. The
Mahindra Rexton will employ a 2.2-litre diesel engine that develops 178 bhp and
420 Nm of torque. Availability of a 7-speed automatic transmission and a 4WD
system is a given. Whether Mahindra will offer a 6-speed manual transmission to
lower the entry price or not is unknown.
The Mahindra Rexton will likely go on sale in India
in Q4 2018 (October-November 2018), just in time for the festive season. With a
starting price of around INR 24 lakh (ex-showroom), it will compete with the
likes of Isuzu MU-X, Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner.
