Ssangyong Rexton long-term test review: report 4

The car Ssangyong Rexton 2.2 Ultimate Run by John Bradshaw, chief photographer

Why it’s here To find out if you can run a big, rugged SUV without it costing the earth 

Needs to Tackle all terrains in any weather, cut the mustard as a photographer’s workhorse, and prove comfortable and economical on a mix of journeys

Mileage 3835 List price £40,705 Target Price £40,705 Price as tested £42,150 Test economy 34.2mpg 

22 July 2021 – Drinking in moderation

When I chose my Ssangyong Rexton, I was under no impression that it was anything other than a heavyweight four-wheel drive SUV. That was what I wanted, after all. And when flirting with such a purchase, you have to accept that the running costs will be higher than you might face with smaller, less purposeful machines that might not shrug off all-weather, all-terrain use quite so nonchalantly as the Rexton.

Nevertheless, I’ve been relieved to find that the Rexton’s official fuel consumption of 32.9mpg turns out to be rather pessimistic. I calculated 34.2mpg after the last fill, and have routinely seen 33mpg or higher since I took delivery. I've mostly been using the rear-wheel drive mode so far, and that's bound to have helped.

Yes, that’s a fair way short of the 39mpg I was enjoying in my previous SUV, a Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, but, while that car was by no means a lightweight, the Rexton is rather more heavy duty. It beats the Volkswagen’s 2500KG towing limit by a full tonne, for starters, and will carry an extra 65kg of freight inside (770kg versus 705kg). I’d say that its greater appetite for work excuses its heavier thirst.

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