-Korea’s market leading pick-up brand for 20 years presents two new outdoor lifestyle trucks

-‘Go Tough’ design concept confirms SsangYong as the original Korean pick-up company

Known as the Musso & Musso Grand in export markets, the new Rexton Sports & Khan pick-ups went on sale at the beginning of April.

Through a succession of evolutions from the original Korean pick-up (K-Pick-up), SsangYong has led the market for over 20 years: from the Musso Sports in 2002, Action Sports (2006), Korando Sports (2012) and Rexton Sports (2018), the company today dominates the Korean pick-up market with an 87% market share despite successive launches by competitors.

The new Rexton Sports & Khan have been reimaged with their respective model identities, and further enhanced to make them even more adaptable to the different lifestyle and leisure opportunities of today.

■ Design concept - Go Tough

Lee Kang, Head of the SsangYong Design Centre, said, "The new Rexton Sports & Khan embody strength and toughness. The magnificent and imposing grille wraps the horizontal breadth of the trucks’ front with the vertical LED fog lamps and harmonizes with the restrained bumper that subtly supports the solid body.”

On the side and rear, the character lines connect with the integrated headlamps and radiator grille and the rear combination lights which use surface-emitting LEDs to show the presence of a fully-fledged truck, even at the back.

A choice of 17 & 18 inch alloy wheels and large 20 inch wheels with a spoke and highly polished effect design are newly available, and further enhance the ‘Go Tough’ design from the side aspect.

There is also a choice of eight body colours: Silky white pearl, Space black, Marble grey, Atlantic blue, Indian red and two new shades, Galaxy grey and Amazonia green. There are two interior colour options, black and brown, which can be combined with Nappa leather upholstery.

■ Large open load decks and 4WD system for safe driving

Markedly different from their competitors, the new Rexton Sports & Khan allow users to choose between two load deck lengths and capacities, depending on their use and needs. The Rexton Sports deck offers a load area of 1,011litres (VDA standard) and a weight capacity of 400kgs. The Khan provides a load volume of 1,262litres (VDA standard), almost 25% more than the Rexton Sports, and a carrying capacity of 700kg (with leaf suspension).

Further differences are that the Rexton Sports utilises a dynamic 5-link suspension system which not only enhances the drive-ability on rough roads and improves the handling performance and driving stability. Meanwhile, the Khan employs leaf spring suspension to boost its greater carrying capacity.

The powertrain offers the optimum combination of the e-XDi220 LET diesel engine and the well-proven AISIN AW 6-speed automatic transmission, with a maximum output of 187ps / 3,800rpm and a maximum torque of 40.8kg • m / 1,400-2,800rpm. The Khan delivers the same maximum power as the Rexton Sports, but with a higher maximum torque of 42.8kg • m / 1,600-2,600rpm to support the heavier load capacity.

The four-wheel drive system gives stable driving performance both on and off-road, and in wet and snowy conditions. Rexton Sports & Khan both come with a Locking Differential, which helps deliver excellent off-road performance 5.6 times the climbing capacity and 4 times the traction capability compared with a normal differential gear.

■ Providing safety and convenience with ADAS system and infotainment features

The new Rexton Sports & Khan are equipped with numerous advanced safety features. Starting with its construction that includes an ultra-high-strength quad frame, there are 6 airbags including side airbags, ADAS features including AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking), FVSW (Front Vehicle Start Warning), SHB (Smart High Beam), LDW (Lane Departure Warning), FCW (Forward Collision Warning), LCW (Lane Change-Collision Warning), RCTW (Rear Cross Traffic Warning), BSW (Blind Spot-Detection Warning) to help prevent accidents.

The infotainment system provides a large, high-definition 9.2-inch display with Apple CarPlay and Android mirroring service, enabling drivers and passengers to enjoy all the applications available on their smart devices thanks to Wi-Fi.

Convenience features are also extremely generous for a truck, and include 3D Around View Monitoring system, Auto closing (remote automatic door locking when holding the key), dual zone fully automatic air conditioning, and a 2-row air vent, plus a windscreen wiper anti-freezing feature.