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-   -   Mahindra-badged Rexton @ Auto Expo 2018 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/195234-mahindra-badged-rexton-auto-expo-2018-a.html)

Mahindra will be brining in the SsangYong's Rexton G4 into India, albeit rebadged as a Mahindra. The company has not yet finalised either the launch schedule or the name for the premium SUV. The Rexton comes with a 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine. Mahindra also revealed that the car will come loaded with features like 9 airbags, HID headlamps, LED DRLs, 8-inch touch screen infotainment system with navigation, electric sunroof, dual zone automatic climate control, ventilated seats, electric parking brake, etc. It also makes use of soft touch plastics and brown leather for the interiors.


Rexton G4 is a full-size 7-seater SUV. It will be positioned above the XUV 500 in the Mahindra line-up:


In Mahindra guise, the car gets a revised grille with 6 fangs:


Looks bulky and is sure to have a good road presence on the Indian roads. The thick D-pillar might make 3rd row a tad bit dingy:


Side profile reveals clean lines. The car gets black cladding below, chrome-lined window frame, silver roof rails and 5-spoke alloy wheels:


Rear features wraparound tail lights with the half place on the boot lid. A chrome line across the tail lights adds a classy touch. Lower part of the bumper houses a thick chrome element, more cladding and parking sensors:


Lower air dam gets horizontal slats, while the upper one (above the number plate) has only some of the hexagonal vents open:


Lots of chrome should appeal to the Indian junta:


The chrome of the grille merges with the headlamps and aligns with the DRLs inside:


18-inch alloy wheels are shod in Nexen N Priz RH7 rubber:

Interior - Front



The dashboard gets a combination of brown leather, black soft touch plastic bits and a faux wood trim in grey colour:


The dash looks nice with the chequered pattern of stitching on the leather bits:


3-spoke steering wheel gets piano black inserts. Telephone / radio controls on the left and menu and cruise control on the right:


Gear knob is covered with the same faux wood as the dash. The buttons for auto hold and e-Parking brake are located behind the gear lever. Also present is a 4x4 mode selector dial. The front of the centre console gets a small cubby with power and USB ports. Two cup holders are located near the armrest:


Right side houses the buttons for the ESP off, hill descent control, lane-assist, boot opener, parking sensors off and others:


The car gets a touchscreen infotainment with some buttons and a volume knob below it. AC controls are located below:


The gear lever gets an unlock button at the side: The base of the gearshift is surrounded by an aluminium trim:


The front seat occupants get a large armrest. It opens up to reveal a large storage space:


Front seats look inviting but the interior fit and finish is not par with segment standards (consider Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner):


The seats are electrically adjustable:


The front doors open wide. They get 2 speakers, a bottle holder, and buttons for the memory seats:


Illuminated Rexton sill looks cool in the dark:


The car gets a dead pedal. Notice the bonnet opening lever located beside the A-pedal in the photo:

Interior - Rear



The rear bench too gets the same brown and black upholstery. The bench is contoured, so it is welcome to seat 2 rather than 3:


Front seat backs are scooped out and have a couple of seat back pockets:


Non-illuminated sill at the back:


The seats can be reclined across a healthy range (they split in 60:40 ratio):


Rear occupants get 2 AC vents and a 12V power socket:





The seat backs can fold flat forwards...


...and tumble down to let entry into the 3rd row of seats:


Last row seats look uninviting. Getting into them will be a chore itself. Best for the kids:


The person on the right gets 2 AC vents as well as blower controls...


...while the one on the left gets only a cubby:


Enough space for a couple of carry-ons with all the rows up:

Engine

The Rexton comes with 2.2-litre diesel engine that makes 178 BHP and 420 Nm of torque. Power will be sent to all the four wheels by a Mercedes-Benz sourced 7-speed automatic gearbox:

While the exteriors(front) look inspired from the S-Cross, the interiors resemble the Ford Endeavour. The overall package looks impressive to me as long as the engine has enough grunt and the price is sensible(undercutting the Endeavour and the Fortuner).

That third row looks so claustrophobic even in pictures. :Shockked:

Dont know why the designers thought it would be a good idea to have such a wide D pillar and a small quarterglass only towards the front - on a seven seater!





One of the better looking Mahindra vehicles otherwise, and should perfectly slot right above the 5OO as the 7OO.

During an auto-show in Mumbai a couple of years back, we tried the last row of the Rexton (the earlier version). It was horrible. The floor pan is barely 5-6 inches below the seat level. So one needs to sit with the knees in your face. Completely impractical except for very small kids. From the recent pics, I don't believe much has changed on the 3rd row front.

Edit : You can check a pic here -> https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-...ml#post3271019

Regarding rear quarter glass, it seems to follow design philosophy of current gen Rexton.

Exactly ! Noticed this in one of the You tube reviews as well. I mean - how can a car that's so huge externally have so less space in the 3rd row. Very poor packaging in what is otherwise a pleasant looking car.

Mahindra has done well to brand this a Mahindra. They are probably looking to deeply undercut the Endeavour/Fortuner duo. Question remains if - even that price point, how many will venture out of the established brands. Hopefully this provides a good upgrade option for the many XUV500 owners who are largely satisfied ( even there I feel many will want to experience their first Toyota or maybe a German car next rather than having another Mahindra ).

Maybe they should launch a dedicated "Politician" friendly variant.
White + lots of chrome + massive bull bar + factory fitted JET BLACK tints + seats wrapped in white towels + option to customize with a chosen party flag at 2/3 places in the vehicle + Loud horn + provision to fit a choice or RED/AMBER pilot lights :D

Positives

• Looks way better than previous generation Rexton in India
• Ladder on frame. So real rugged SUV and not a poser.
• Bigger than the earlier Rexton and looks aggressive. Road presence would be impressive.
• If priced well, can compete with Fortuner and Endeavor

Negatives

• If the XUV5OO gets refreshed with a 170BHP engine, Mahindras would struggle to sell the Rexton with 178BHP. I was expecting a more powerful engine in this one.
• 4 or max 5 adults would sit comfortably. The last row can be utilized only for emergencies. In a full size D2 segment SUV, capacity to carry 7 is a fair expectation.
• No sliding 2nd row seats? No captain seats?
• Besides 9 air-bags and dual-zone ACC, the rest of the features didn't sound impressive for the segment. No wow! No "segment-first" features to entice a potential customer of Fortuner/Endeavor.

It is much better looking than the previous Rexton in all ways. Support may continue to be an issue as it does not share parts with any other Mahindra.

It just doesn't seem to excel at anything. Nothing special. Better than XUV500 by say max of INR 2-3L not 8-10L. If one is close to 30+ L OTR variants of Fortuner and Endeavour are likely to appeal much more both in terms of value and call of the heart as also brand snob value.

Will be tough going unless priced very close to XUV.

For those just looking for a comfortable ride Hexa may appeal. For those requiring a brand value Endeavour or Toyota may attract.

I get the feeling that this may be the last hurrah for these examples of this segment (Fortuner. Endeavor, MU7, the new Rexton & maybe some others I can't recall off the bat) - at least as far as the exteriors are concerned! They all seem to have the same stem cell history:D, so to speak!

I mean, I'm all for retaining the ruggedness & durability of the body-on-chassis structure. But the exterior seems to have the same basic dated lines for a long while now. I had hoped that M&M might take the lead & come up with something interesting (having an Italian design studio in tow!), while retaining the separate body/chassis structure. But as I have mentioned earlier, Pininfarina seems no longer to be the entity it was earlier, before the collapse.

And I guess now it will be TML who'll show the way ahead - they have already given a foretaste with the Hexa. Let's wait for the rest of the story to unfold.

For a while I thought it is new S-cross, front looks quite similar to S-cross

In my opinion old Rexton was a nice looking full grown SUV. This Rexton G4 also looks good and will have good road presence. This SUV will have to compete with the likes of Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Isuzu MU-X. Can it survive against these three? No, It cant, with this kind of dull interior and without any deal-breaking features

However, a proper pricing of this product is the key aspect. Mahindra should not keep a big price gap between Rexton G4 and XUV 500.