SsangYong Motor, the local unit of India’s Mahindra & Mahindra, has added diversity to South Korea’s sport utility vehicle market with its latest premium full-size G4 Rexton SUV, the company said Thursday.

The G4 Rexton replaced the Mohave SUV made by Kia Motors as the best-selling large-size SUV here for two straight months since its release in May. The model recorded sales of 2,703 units in May and 2,708 units in June, according to the company.


“Target sales of the G4 Rexton for this year has been set at 20,000 units. We plan to raise our annual goal to 30,000 units from 2018,” said SsangYong Motor in a statement. “As a result, we expect Korea’s large-size SUV market to grow from some 30,000 units annually to 50,000 units.”

Aiming to increase demand for large SUVs with the G4 Rexton, SsangYong Motor said it built a stronger and lighter full-size SUV, as it had also done for compact SUVs, including the best-selling Tivoli.

Powered by a 2.2-liter diesel engine, the vehicle produces a maximum 187 horsepower and 42.8 kilogram-meters torque, the company said. Equipped with German luxury maker Mercedes-Benz’s seven-speed auto transmission, the four-wheel driving system boasts smooth and optimized gear shifting.

A quad frame platform was also applied to the G4 Rexton for the first time among cars worldwide to ensure maximum safety, according to the company. The quad frame is made with ultrahigh-tensile strength giga steel rated at 1.5 gigapascals, while still lighter than aluminum.

SsangYong Motor added that nine air bags are installed in the G4 Rexton, the most among full-size SUVs.

A slew of safety features, such as lane change assistance, rear cross traffic alerts and blind spot detection, heighten driving convenience and safety.

The G4 Rexton was also recognized as the strongest among local SUVs, receiving a rating of 21 in a crash safety test conducted by the Korea Insurance Development Institute. The evaluation was based on a scale of 1 to 26, with 26 being the least likely to be damaged by a collision, as set by the Research Council for Automobile Repairs.

SsangYong Motor noted that the cost of insurance for owners of the G4 Rexton tends to be lower compared to those who drive similar models, due to the strength of the vehicle. 

By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)