Ssangyong Rexton review

If we were judging this category solely on a pound-for-pound basis, the SsangYong Rexton would do very well. You get an awful lot of car for your money and the least expensive Ventura models undercut the cheapest Toyota Land Cruiser by a significant amount of cash, despite offering far more luxuries.

You get all the kit you actually need and a few luxury items as well on our preferred entry-level Ventura model. Upgrading to Ultimate is only worth it if you really want the bigger infotainment screen and nicer leather we discuss in other sections, along with an electric tailgate, ambient interior lighting and keyless entry and start.

Running costs are less impressive, though. No version dips below 225g/km of CO2, so it's pricey for company car users with a hefty benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rate, and the official figures suggest it’ll do 32.9mpg at best. Based on the trip computer, we failed to better 30mpg in our test car. Residual values are surprisingly good, with some versions of the Rexton doing almost as well as the highly sought-after Land Cruiser, and that should help lower your monthly PCP costs (future values are an important part of the finance equation). Find the best deals on our New Car Buying pages.

Euro NCAP hasn’t safety tested the Rexton, but you do get a decent amount of safety tech to help avoid a collision in the first place. All versions get automatic emergency braking (AEB) and a lane departure warning, while high-end Ultimate Rextons add blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert to warn you if something is crossing your path while you're reversing. Every SsangYong comes with an impressive seven-year, 150,000 mile warranty, which is more mileage than the next best policy from Kia provides.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here