KGM Rexton Sports

Today, I’m behind the wheel of the latest KGM Rexton Sports, which is still called the Musso in some markets. It’s basically the pickup truck variant of the Rexton, albeit with some notable differences. Why KGM? Because SsangYong is now owned by South Korean conglomerate KG Group and has been rebranded KG Mobility as of March 2023. Quick history lesson done, then.

Thanks to Micro Cars Limited for getting me behind the wheel a mere two days after this Rexton Sports arrived at their head office, fresh after its journey from South Korea. It’s as box-fresh as you can expect – even the odometer shows around 30 kilometres on it. While what we’re driving today is a tester built in South Korea; the Rexton Sports will be assembled at Micro’s state-of-the-art factory at the Polgahawela BOI EPZ. I’m told that the plant has received assembly approval by SsangYong/KGM, as well as MG, Wuling, Chery and Geely. Furthermore, Micro Cars Limited will be celebrating their 30^th anniversary this year, so 2025 is indeed a Big Year. So how does the Rexton Sports fare?

Exterior

First off, you’ll probably notice the sheer length of the KGM Rexton Sports, our tester wearing a colour called Amazonia Green which is one of the reasons we opted for a beach setting on this clear, blue-skied day. This is quite a long fellow, racking in at a whisker over 5.4 metres from tip to tail. This extra length allows for a spacious cargo bed that I’m told can carry up to 750kg of payload. The cargo bed measures in at 1.61 metres long and 1.57 metres wide. Of course, you’ve got to account for the rear wheel arch intrusions, as is the case with any pickup truck. Meanwhile, when you look at the Rexton Sports face-on, you don’t immediately get the impression of it being a pickup truck. Its LED lights, large grille and imposing stance make you think SUV until you move a few inches to either side and see the truck profile.

Micro Cars tells us that while this tester comes with 20-inch shiny alloy wheels and lower-profile tires, they’ll be changing that for locally assembled customer cars. Yup, if you purchase a Rexton Sports, you’ll get stylish 18-inch wheels and taller profile tires. That’s a good thing on multiple fronts. One – taller profile tires mean better ride comfort. Two – you can fit more aggressive rubber with ease since the smaller rims give you more leeway for upgrades such as all-terrain or mud tires. Three – regular, tall-profile tires for 18-inch wheels are definitely cheaper than low-profilers for 20-inch wheels. I could go on.

Mech & Tech

The KGM Rexton Sports features the company’s 2.2-liter four-cylinder direct-injection diesel engine under the hood. The turbocharged and intercooled unit makes 200hp at 3,800rpm, and 441Nm of torque in a band between 1,600 and 2,600rpm. Curiously manual transmission-equipped variants get less torque, at 400Nm. Never mind; because the model that we get in Sri Lanka features a 6-speed automatic gearbox by Japanese brand Aisin. You’ve also got a choice between rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive in high range, as well as four-wheel drive in low range. It’s all selected via a little knob in the centre console. Micro Cars tells us that the locally assembled customer vehicles will gain a diff lock as well; something this Korean-built tester lacks. 

Braking is done via power-assisted discs on all four wheels which isn’t the case with many pickup trucks; drums at the rear tends to be more common. Steering is via an electrically assisted rack, and Shanaka from Micro Cars informs me that it has variable assistance, plus a rack-mounted assist motor. Then, he proudly points out that the Rexton Sports has 5-link rear suspension with coil springs; a rarity in the class, and one that’s supposed to give it more SUV-like ride qualities. The front uses a double wishbone with coil spring set-up. Let’s see how it fares during our test drive, then.

Driving Experience

You’ve got a fairly lofty driving position, but the electrically adjustable driver seat with power lumbar lets you quickly find an ideal seating position. Fire up the engine and it’s very hushed, with just a hint of hum entering the cabin. However, when you roll down the windows, you can easily hear the characteristic diesel engine sound, mixed with some turbo whooshes as you accelerate hard. This tells me that KGM has worked hard on cabin refinement. Even when a private bus tooted his cursed and definitely illegal air horn next to us, we didn’t hear it that much with the windows up. 

Away we go, then. First off, visibility is very good. The rear window is somewhat larger than on many other pickup trucks, and the A-pillars aren’t as chunky so you can easily see all around you. When reversing, you’ve got to be aware of the longer rear section, but there’s a rear-view camera to help, plus a park assist system that also covers the front and sides of the vehicle. So, you can easily manage its bulk in tight spots if you stop texting and pay attention.

When driving in urban environments, you rarely need to stretch out the engine to its 3,800rpm redline, as you can comfortably ride the wave of torque lower down the rev range. The throttle is easy to modulate, and Sport mode doesn’t really change its sensitivity, instead choosing to change gear at higher rpms. For the most part, I drove the Rexton Sports in normal mode because I found it to be ample. Here, the engine settled into a quiet cruise but was always ready to deliver when power was called for. Braking is a similarly tight and well-controlled affair, with the pedal being very easy to modulate and offering ample urge at all speeds. The gearbox sometimes helps out with engine braking too, but it’s well blended so you don’t get that ‘nodding’ sensation.

You can manually shift gears too. You’ve got Tiptronic shifting at your fingertips…or left thumb tip rather. In typical SsangYong style, the manual shift controls are on the shift knob. Here, the Rexton Sports has got a helpful little ‘rocker’ switch. And you know what? I found it very comfortable to use! True, I did miss steering wheel paddles, but when 99% of users of this kind of vehicle aren’t going to use them, what’s the point? A flick up and the gearbox shifts up. A flick down and it downshifts.

Entering the Airport Expressway, I engaged cruise control and noted that the Rexton Sports held the speed with impressive accuracy. I’ve been in some European vehicles where setting the cruise control to 100km/h has yielded varying speeds of between 90km/h and 105km/h. No such drama here; I noted maximum deviations of 2km/h either way. On the other hand, it also coped admirably on our beach photo-shoot, managing to find traction in sand so deep that it was difficult to walk on. Just selecting 4WD (H), using a light foot on the throttle and letting the traction control do its thing was enough.

What about ride comfort? I’ve been deliberately saving that for last because its really very good. The multi-link rear suspension really makes a tangible difference in the way that the Rexton Sports rides. It doesn’t rock about like many pickup trucks, and the suspension, overall, has a very damped feel. Driving at speed over a concrete road that had been patched up with tarmac (yes, brilliant work by the RDA I knows), I could definitely feel the surface but never felt uncomfortable or jostled around. I’m sure that customer cars with 18-inch rims and taller profile rubber will be even more comfortable.

Living With The Rexton Sports

Meanwhile, your music is played via a 6-speaker sound system which is adequate for average listeners, but keen audio enthusiasts may want to explore upgrades.

The driver faces a 12.3-inch fully digital gauge cluster that offers two primary gauge layouts and plenty of information displays. Meanwhile, you can control the automatic dual-zone climate control system via its touch panel, or through a dedicated Climate page on the infotainment touchscreen. There’s also mood lighting for the instrument panel, a decently sized glove box (with a light) and a deep centre console storage bin. Front-seat occupants get two cup holders too. The front passenger seat is power adjustable as well. Both front seats are heated, and Micro Cars tells me that the locally assembled Rexton Sports for customers will have ventilated front seats too. Now that’s superb for combatting our sweltering climate!

Rear-seat passengers receive air vents and a flip-down arm rest with two cup holders. There’s enough space here for average-sized adults, and I was able to easily fit behind my driving position. The outboard rear seating positions have heating as well, operated via buttons on the doors. The entire rear seat back can also be flipped down, revealing the tire changing equipment. You can also do this if you wish to transport large items inside the vehicle’s passenger cabin without soiling or damaging the rear seat upholstery.

In terms of trunk capacity, the cargo bed is rated at over 1,600 litres. That’s more than enough for the average Sri Lankan multi-day family trip after a few stops for impulse purchases along the way. Yes, I will address the glaring elephant in the room – the cargo bed being open and exposed to everything from loose-bowelled pigeons to opportunistic thieves. Don’t worry, Micro Cars are working on a secure and weatherproof canopy or tonneau cover for the Rexton Sports, so you can use it just like an SUV.

Safety

The KGM Rexton Sports comes with dual front, side and curtain airbags, including airbags within the front seats. You can even switch off the front passenger airbags in case you need to carry a small child there, for whatever reason. Not all vehicles allow you to disable the front passenger airbag, and you should NEVER carry a child there if this isn’t possible. You’ve also got anchorage for up to two child seats in the rear, although many child seats can be installed via the three-point seatbelts too. You won’t find automatic emergency braking and I am glad for that, because our traffic is just too unpredictable for it to work properly. Not all safety systems are applicable in Sri Lanka – some of them are actually liabilities rather than boons. However, one definite boon is a tire pressure monitoring system, and the Rexton Sports has it.

Fuel Economy and Price

This KGM Rexton Sports is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, therefore it hasn’t been properly fuel efficiency tested on local roads yet. I did check the fuel economy readout towards the end of our test and noted that it read 10.5 litres per 100km. That works out to around 9.52 kilometres per litre. However, this figure was after various driving conditions, including stop-go traffic, sitting idle with the AC on during photo-shoots, hard driving during performance tests, and a bit of highway driving too. In regular use, buyers could definitely expect more. Plus, with a 75-litre fuel tank, you can drive quite far between fill-ups.

In terms of price, the KGM Rexton Sports will hit the market for around Rs. 20.8 million. Micro Cars is also offering an impressive 5-year / 150,000-kilometre warranty for the vehicle.

Final Words

In the past, there were a mere handful of pickup trucks, almost all of them Japanese. Now, with choices like the KGM Rexton Sports, the set menu of yore has become more of a buffet. Despite some stiff competition, the Rexton Sports fights back with its large cargo box, refined ride characteristics and ample interior technology highlights. It’s got plenty of power and can handle the rough stuff too. That’s why it’s definitely worth a look if you’re in the market for a family vehicle. Plus, in the past SsangYong has faithfully served and been well-received by the Sri Lankan motoring public, so there’s no reason why the Rexton Sports should be any different, given what it offers.

Tech Specs – KGM Rexton Sports 

Powertrain

2,157cc, 4-cylinder, diesel

Turbocharged and intercooled

6-speed Aisin automatic gearbox

Rear-wheel drive with part-time four-wheel drive

Low range and diff lock

Rated top speed – 172km/h

Suspension

Front – double wishbone, coil spring

Rear – five link, coil spring

Brakes

Front – Ventilated disc

Rear – solid disc

Parking brake – manual

Steering

Electrically assisted rack

Variable assistance

Dimensions and capacities

Length                     5.41 metres

Width                       19.5 metres

Height                      1.85 metres

Fuel Tank                 75 litres

Kerb weight             approx. 2,200kg

Payload                   750kg

Cargo bed volume   1,600 litres

Towing Capacity      3,500kg (braked)