SsangYong Rexton facelift revealed, benefits from more power and a new automatic gearbox

The SsangYong Rexton – which India has experienced in the form of the Mahindra Alturas G4 – has received a midlife update. SsangYong has taken the wraps off the facelifted Rexton, and it gets a little more than what you’d expect a mid-cycle refresh to bring. Not only does the 2021 SsangYong Rexton look different on the outside compared to the outgoing model, but also packs some key feature additions and mechanical upgrades that promise to enhance the Rexton’s overall drive experience. The 2021 SsangYong Rexton gets a new, bolder grille with chrome studs, redesigned LED headlights, new front and rear bumpers, new LED elements in the tail-lights and new 18-inch alloy wheels. On the inside, the big change is the inclusion of a 12.3-inch digital instruments display, and the top-spec Rexton now gets a larger 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system. New on the Rexton’s long list of safety features is Trailer Sway Control (TSC) which improves driving stability by detecting and automatically stabilising yaw movement and sway of the trailer mounted to the SUV. [caption id=“attachment_9421501” align=“alignnone” width=“1920”]  The 2021 SsangYong Rexton gets a Hyundai-sourced eight-speed automatic. Image: SsangYong[/caption] More importantly, the 2021 SsangYong Rexton retains its 2.2-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, but it now makes 202 hp and 441 Nm of torque. On the transmission front, the six-speed automatic is gone, replaced by a new, eight-speed automatic sourced from Hyundai. SsangYong claims a 0-100kph time of 11.9 seconds for the 2021 Rexton. As before, the Rexton continues with a selectable four-wheel-drive system with High and Low ratios and off-road modes. At this point, it’s unclear if the changes seen on the 2021 SsangYong Rexton will make their way onto the Mahindra Alturas G4 sold in India. Mahindra has previously made clear its intention to part ways with SsangYong, and in a segment dominated by the Toyota Fortuner, the Alturas G4 – which was updated to meet BS6 emission norms last year – remains a fringe player at best.