Ssangyong G4 Rexton seeks to lead Korea's SUV market
The Ssangyong Motor G4 Rexton sport utility vehicle / Courtesy of Ssangyong Motor
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Ssangyong Motor, which has enjoyed surging popularity of the Tivoli small-size sport utility vehicle (SUV), seeks to continue its momentum with the newly launched G4 Rexton large-size SUV.
Named with the slogan “Great 4 Revolution” a Ssangyong official said the G4 Rexton is a premium SUV that inherits the carmaker’s vehicle DNA of rear-wheel drive and next-generation body frame.
The nation’s large-size SUV market has declined in volume since there have been no new vehicle models launched for years. But the introduction of the G4 Rexton could contribute to market expansion, the official added.
“SUV models’ off-road driving performance as well as towing capacity are becoming important factors. An increasing number of people are now enjoying leisure weekends, and the G4 Rexton will satisfy such demand,” the official said.
The G4 Rexton SUV’s dynamic exterior design was inspired by the ancient Greek Parthenon’s ideal proportion combined with Ssangyong Motor’s design philosophy”
It poses the so-called “golden ratio” in the front with its dynamic character from shoulder-wing grille to head lamps. The A- and D-pillar’s sleek sideline of the G4 Rexton also symbolizes the SUV model’s powerful and darting nature.
The G4 Rexton SUV has a front-engine and rear-wheel-drive layout, a vehicle power train structure that places the engine in the front of the vehicle while the driving wheels are located at the rear.
It mounts a new e-XDi220 LET diesel engine that produces maximum 187 horsepower with a 42.8 kgf.m torque while traveling 10.5 kilometers per liter. The vehicle is equipped with seven-speed transmission, which Mercedes-Benz developed.
The suspension combination of the double wishbone in the front and the advanced multilink in the rear is expected to provide a comfortable ride and cornering stability.
It also drew attentions for the vehicle’s solid body frame called “Quad Frame,” a structure jointly developed by Ssangyong Motor and POSCO.
The nation's largest steelmaker utilized Giga steel plates for the first time in the world to develop the G4 Rexton's Quad Frame.
Giga steel is advanced high-strength steel with great tensile strength. A Ssangyong Motor official said the Giga Steel plates installed in the G4 Rexton's core body frame parts will protect drivers and passengers in case of an accident.
“The G4 Rexton’s excellence in quality will be a game changer in the large-size SUV market in Korea,” the official said.
“The nation’s SUV market has grown averagely 15.8 percent every year since 2011. But the large-size SUV market has been stagnated in the meantime since there was no outstanding model. With the introduction of the G4 Rexton, the annual market of large-size SUVs would grow to 50,000.”