The new, mid-level RX6 variant of the Rexton gets all the features of the top trim, but with a manual gearbox and less power.
Mahindra-owned SsangYong launched its Rexton SUV in India back in 2012. The Rexton was positioned as a flagship SUV above the XUV500 and a rival to the likes of the Toyota Fortuner.
When it was first launched, Mahindra offered the Rexton in two variants, both with the same basic 2.7-litre five-cylinder engine, but in two different states of tune. The base RX5 variant, good for 162bhp and 34.7kgm of torque, was mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and a ‘Torque on Demand’ four-wheel-drive system. The fully-loaded RX7 version produced 184bhp and 41kgm, and came with permanent AWD and an automatic gearbox.
Apart from the mechanical differences, the RX7 came with a lot more features than the RX5, further justifying its price premium, although the base model was pretty decently equipped as well.
But despite its rich feature list, spacious cabin and upmarket interiors, the Rexton failed to set the sales charts ablaze. So, to try and give customers more of a choice with the Rexton, Mahindra has added a new mid-level RX6 trim, the car you see on this page.
The RX6 aims to deliver the best of both worlds – the features of the RX7 and the more basic mechanicals of the RX5 at a price that’s somewhere in betwen the two. With this variant, Mahindra appears to be targeting chauffeur-driven customers who would like all the creature comforts of a premium SUV but don’t care for an automatic.