Ssangyong Problems

We contacted SsangYong to see what we could find out about their parts supply, and were told that there were no problems with it. They believed there was a communications breakdown in your case and are keen to resolve the issue with you.

Musso owners we have spoken to have been unanimous in their praise of the car. One or two have reported fairly minor issues, most love the diesel and have had no trouble at all, and many have done lots of kilometres in their cars.

The SsangYong Rexton is available with a 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder in the rear-drive, auto-only base model. The mid- and top-spec Rextons are equipped with a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder.

We went back to Ateco and this is the response we received: "With regard to Mr. Laurie, the repairs were actioned on 22 March, with three of the four parts required in stock at his dealership and a fourth part arriving at the dealership on 4 April, having been ordered by the dealer on 30 March. No further parts were, or are on order with regard to this vehicle. The dealer has confirmed that the customer collected his car yesterday, expressed satisfaction with the work and has not been in contact with either dealer or Ateco with any further concerns or issues. Needless to say if there are further issues Ateco and his dealer are more than happy to discuss these with him."

While they have improved markedly on their early efforts the SsangYong Rexton still lags behind other models in the SUV market.

UPDATE 18/2/19: The new Rexton Ultimate also fared surprisingly well in our recent budget 4x4 SUV comparo, taking out third place and defeating more fancied rivals from Isuzu and Toyota. 

I recommend cars I would be happy to see my best friend driving and, for that reason, nothing with a Ssangyong badge currently makes the cut.

For a start, some owners are not mad about the Subaru’s CVT transmission. It’s not that it’s necessarily unreliable, they just don’t like the way it works with an occasional hesitation and a slight jerkiness at light throttle applications. Some people never notice it, but others find it a real distraction. The Kia meanwhile, has been getting good reviews across the trade, largely thanks to the Australian-input into the model’s suspension settings.

Of course, you need to personally drive all three cars on your short-list as there will be things you like and dislike about each one, some of which will be deal-breakers.

The SsangYong is certainly the unknown quantity, but mainly because of the brand’s on-again-off-again relationship with the Australian market. But now, with head-office support (the Australian operation is the only factory-owned distributorship outside the brand’s native South Korea) things are looking a bit brighter for buyers and that’s backed up by the factory seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty that also includes fixed price servicing and roadside-assistance for seven years. That’s got to represent peace of mind.

SsanYong make the Rexton SUV, with assembly plants in South Korea and India.

To get a vehicle with meaningful (as opposed to a theoretical) towing ability of 2.5 tonnes, you really need to shop for a relatively late-model dual-cab 4X4 ute. The reason for that is that many vehicles that claim a 2.5-tonne limit in the brochure fail to explain that there’s also a Gross Vehicle Combination Mass in play and, by the time you’ve added passengers, gear and a full tank of fuel to the towing vehicle, there might not be much of that GCM to devote to a towed load.

Going for a vehicle with 3000kg or even 35000kg towing capacity in the first place is a good way to ensure you do accidentally start driving around in an overloaded vehicle with all the legal and insurance connotations that involves.

A lot of the current shape dual-cab utes fall within your budget on a second-hand basis, but there are caveats. Make sure you only buy a ute with a full service history. Some of these vehicles were worked hard by their original owners, so be very careful before handing over the cash. Avoid ex-mine fleet vehicles and don’t be afraid to buy a base-model vehicle if it offers better value. Even a single-cab version of these utes will be a lot cheaper than the dual-cab and, if you don’t need the rear seat, are often a more practical solution. Makes and models include the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Mazda BT50, Mitsubishi Triton and Isuzu D-Max. For real value for money, vehicles like the Ssangyong Musso can tow 3.5 tonnes, are well equipped and can be had for less than $35,000 drive-away, brand-new. That also gets you a seven-year factory warranty. All of these options are available with the automatic transmission you want and, indeed, this is the best option for a tow vehicle.

The Musso’s towing capacity is 3500 kg, and its GCM is 5980 kg.