2023 Ssangyong Rexton vs Kia Sorento

What's the difference?

The SsangYong Rexton is a well-stocked 4WD wagon. It’s nice to drive once you’re out on the open road, it’s refined and comfortable and it signals definite progress for SsangYong in terms of all-round quality and functionality.

As an urban vehicle used for occasional forays onto well-maintained dirt tracks, the Rexton has definite appeal. But, while it does have low- and high-range 4WD and it does have a rear diff lock (albeit an automatic version), this vehicle is better suited to light 4WDing than any hard-core off-roading – and that’s absolutely fine for the people who will consider this. 

A seven-year warranty adds to the Rexton’s appeal and this current-generation wagon still seems a worthwhile value-for-money buy.

The Kia Sorento HEV GT-Line AWD is a mouthful to say but the all-round experience is light-hearted and practical. The amenities inside are really good and definitely make it feel top-spec. The driving experience is a bit mixed for me to truly love it as the everyday car but families wanting comfort won’t be disappointed. I would still be inclined to consider the bigger Carnival, considering the price but the hybrid powertrain makes it fairly fuel efficient and that makes up for the driving.

My son really enjoyed the amenities in his row and felt comfortable.

The Rexton is 4850mm long (with a 2865mm wheelbase), 1960mm wide and 1825mm high.

It has a kerb weight of 2130kg and an 11m turning circle.

My videographer reckons this Rexton generation looks a bit like a Ford Territory. Fair call. 

I reckon it looks low and its ground clearance – a listed 203mm – may prove to be a problem during this off-road test. (More about this in the Driving section, further down.)

The Sorento is a good-looking SUV that has a refined shape. There’s enough going on to stir some interest, like the chrome panelling and accents, 19-inch alloy wheels and wide LED lights.

Standing at 1900mm tall, the SUV tag feels deserved but the 4810mm length and 1700mm width makes it feel well-proportioned for urban adventures, too.

The interior is beautifully appointed with soft touchpoints, quilted Nappa leather mixed with synthetic leather trims and shiny chrome inserts. It looks on point for the market and definitely top-spec.

The ambient lighting creates a cozy atmosphere in low light and the panoramic display panel on the dashboard looks great.

Each row has similar design points, making the overall aesthetic feel well-executed.

The exterior colour choices are a bit dull, our 'Mineral Blue' paintwork ($695) being one of the more interesting options, but there’s an understated elegance to the Sorento that should keep it feeling modern for years to come.

It’s a clean layout with a premium look and feel (there’s Nappa leather seats and interior trim on this Ultimate) and there are plenty of soft-touch surfaces.

Fit and finish are nice, solid and impressive at this price.

The multimedia system is okay to use, but the 8.0-inch touchscreen is too small. The MY24 Rexton ups that screen to 12.3-inches.

Otherwise, functionality, storage and charge points around the cabin are more than satisfactory, including a wireless phone charger with sliding cover, two USB ports (centre console) and 12V power outlet in the console box, plus two USB ports and a 12V power outlet in the second-row centre console. 

All seats are leather-accented, heated and on the right side of comfortable. The driver’s seat and front passenger seat are also ventilated.

The front seats are power-adjustable - eight-way for the driver and six-way for the passenger.

The second-row seats – a 60/40 configuration, which folds, reclines and tumbles – are supportive without being overly so.

With the 50/50 third-row seats in use, boot space is listed as 236L. There’s a 12V power outlet in the cargo area.

With that folding third row stowed away, there’s a claimed 641L of cargo space. With the second and third rows stowed, there’s a claimed 1806L.

For a seven-seater that’s not a ‘people mover’, this is very practical.

The front and second rows will enjoy loads of leg and headroom (even with that panoramic sunroof). The driver gets spoiled with easy-to-use tech that feels modern and looks good.

The 10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia system has built-in satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument panel is customisable and easy to read, as is the head-up display. There are three USB-A ports, a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad, too. Like I said, spoiled.

Storage throughout is pretty good but the drink bottle holders in each door are a tad too skinny and shallow to be useful for the popular and bigger reusable bottles out nowadays.

My six-year old felt like a king in the second row. It was easy for him to climb in and out because of the 176mm ground clearance and the door handles weren’t too high for him to access himself.

He also enjoyed the retractable sun shades, directional air vents, cupholders in the armrest and the cupholders in the door handle.

Adults will be happy in this row on a longer journey, too. There is a USB-A port embedded in the side of each front seat, plus an extra at the rear of the middle console. No one will be fighting to stay charged up.

The third row positions are still sometimes seats for adults, in my opinion. But what it lacks in space, it makes up for in amenities.

There are directional air vents, fan control, drink holders, snack trays, reading lights and a couple of USB-A ports.

The boot is a bit of a let-down, though. It sits on the smaller end for the market with 187L (VDA) with all seven seats in use.

Stow the third row and it only jumps up to 616L (VDA). The level load space and squared shaping does make it appear larger than it is, but it was more than enough for my weekday errands and the grocery run.

If you do need extra space, you can bump it to a massive 2011L (VDA) with just the front seats in use. Impressively, you get a full-size spare tyre, as well.

There are only two models for the Sorento HEV variant, the only difference is one is a front-wheel drive and the other (ours) is an all-wheel drive.

The AWD will cost you $69,750, before on-road costs. It ain’t cheap but if you’re familiar with Kia, you’ll know that ‘GT-Line’ means top spec and that means a great features list.

You get the luxury items, like: heated and ventilated front seats that have a Nappa leather mixed trim, heated outboard seats in the second row, heated steering wheel, 14-way electric driver's seat, 10-way electric passenger's seat, panoramic sunroof and a powered tailgate.

The kiddie features are superb with the aforementioned ISOFIX mounts and top tethers, seven seats (2/3/2 configuration), hard kickplates on front seat backs, cupholders galore, directional air vents in each row and retractable sun shades on the rear doors.

Despite the extensive features list, the price tag is average for the competitors and a little under the more expensive Toyota Kluger.

By the end of the week, I did wonder what family would be wanting this over a ‘soccer mum’ people mover because if it’s the seven seats which interest you, you can pick up the top-spec Carnival for the same cash… which might make it more practical for kid stowage.

Every SsangYong Rexton has a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine producing 149kW/441Nm. And that’s matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This is a relaxed, sluggish pairing.

The Rexton has part-time 4WD with selectable low- and high-range 4WD and an auto-locking rear differential.

All hybrid variants (including the plug-in hybrid) share the same engine - a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol with a maximum output of 132kW/265Nm.

It also has an electric motor which produces 44 kilowatts of power and 264Nm of torque. The overall combined total is 169kW/350Nm.

The motor is powered by a lithium-ion polymer battery. The electric motor tends to kick in more at lower speeds, stop-start traffic and idling.

The engine can feel a bit under-powered at lower speeds and combined with the six-speed auto transmission it’s not what I would call zippy. But once you get up to speed, it’s an easy SUV to cruise in.

The Rexton has an official fuel consumption of 8.7L/100km (on a combined cycle).

I recorded 10.8L/100km on this test, after a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing.

The Rexton has a 70-litre fuel tank and going by our on-test fuel-consumption figure you could reasonably expect a full-tank driving range of about 648km.

Note: That 648km is a best-case scenario figure and has not had a 30-50km safe-distance buffer subtracted from it, and it also does not take into account the fact that, when being used for touring, the vehicle will be loaded with people, pets, camping gear and more.

I’m quite happy with how it’s performed with fuel economy but am surprised it didn’t perform better for a hybrid.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 5.8L/100km, and real-world testing saw me average 7.1L/100km.

That’s not as awesome as some hybrids on the market now, but it’s very respectable given the size of this SUV.

The Sorento has a 67L fuel tank, takes regular unleaded petrol (91 RON min) and has an approximate driving range of 940km, using our on-test figure.

It’s quite reasonable on-road if you’re willing to forgive a few flaws.

The cabin is quiet and ride is plush, but the engine and transmission is a smooth but sluggish pairing, acceleration is doughy underfoot, the brakes are spongy and slow to bite and the shifter is annoying.

Once on the open road, though, the Rexton is very comfortable, refined and easy to spend long trips in. It simply cruises along quietly and that makes for a relaxed driving experience.

However, off-roading, especially low-range 4WDing, swiftly exposes some of the Rexton’s less-than-ideal characteristics, which impact any potential it may have as a 4WD tourer.

First up, ride and handling are generally adequately composed on sealed surfaces, with independent suspension all-around, but the Rexton quickly loses composure on dirt tracks, becoming jittery on light corrugations and then thumping through more severe corrugations, ruts and potholes.

The Rexton is too low, at a listed 203mm, and underbody components are vulnerable to rocks, tree stumps, and track debris.

It has the shallow off-road angles to match that low-slung stance: 20.5-degree approach, 20.5-degree departure and 20.0-degree rampover angle. All far from ideal, but about right for a vehicle that’s more in tune with urban than country life.

For the first time in a long time*, I chose not to drive a test vehicle on a few of my usual 4WD challenges, including a steep set of rock steps, because the risk of incidental damage was just too great. (* It’s possibly the first time ever. I can’t recall. Yep, I’m old.)

Wading depth is unlisted, but likely around the 500mm mark.

The automatic locking rear diff is a sound idea in theory, but doesn’t work so well in this application. It’s clunky, abrupt and allows too much wheelspin before the diff-lock engages.

It also disengages abruptly, sometimes when you’re not even up, over or through the particular terrain you’re tackling. I noted similar issues with the Mahindra Scorpio I recently tested.

The Rexton’s tyres – Kumho Crugen (255/60 R18 108H) – are marketed as “all season”, but while they’re fine for on-road driving, they fall well short of suitable for anything other than light off-roading.

Sounds like I’m ripping into the Rexton, eh? Well, it’s not all bad news.

In terms of mechanicals and off-road driver-assist tech, the Rexton has adequate torque across a decent spread of revs, engine braking is good, and hill descent control is okay.

Steering has an adequate balance at low speeds, throttle response is reasonable, and there’s plenty of visibility, which is crucial for difficult 4WDing.

But, ultimately this is a city-friendly 4WD that is best suited to light off-roading, as in driving on well-maintained tracks in dry weather.

At a stretch, a driver with experience could take the Rexton onto hard-packed sand, or on slight to medium hills with minor obstacles in all weather, but this 4WD is so low that ground clearance will always be an issue off-road.

If you are considering the Rexton as your touring vehicle, it’s worth noting the payload is 830kg, gross vehicle mass is 2960kg and gross combined mass is 6460kg.

Towing capacity is 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked).

The driving doesn’t have the polish that the rest of the car does but it will get you from A to B… just maybe without the pizzaz.

When the electric motor is being solely used, the ‘engine’ noise is non-existent and you have reversing beeps like you do in a full EV but then it switches over to the engine, which is loud and can sound whiny when you put your foot down.

The steering is firm but smooth and the 11.6m turning circle helps with tight car parks. As does the crisp 360-degree camera view.

However, the lane keeping aid does make it a bit jerky at times, which I didn’t like. It’s also a pain to turn off every time but I would make an effort in the city.

Unlike a number ofother Kia models, the Sorento Hybrid has not been tuned in Australia to suit local conditions. As a result, the ride comfort is a lot firmer than I was expecting and you feel every bump in the road.

The car shakes, rattles and bounces along the country roads near me; I think this is more suited to urban drivers.

It’s a heavy SUV and you will feel that when you’re slowing down or tackling bends. I got A LOT of noise from my passengers this week, despite a lower cruising speed to not jostle them about.  

The safety list is what makes this a true family car, and anxious parents need not stress because the following come as standard: LED daytime running lights, LED lights, automatic emergency braking (with pedestrian, car, cyclist detection and junction assist), forward collision warning, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, emergency lane keeping aid, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree view camera with parking guidelines, front and rear parking sensors and rear occupant alert (which pops on every time you park).

A special mention for the blind-spot camera view that pops up on the instrument panel when you indicate. It was a really nice feature in the city which added some reassurance when you had to change lanes.

It only has seven airbags, which does include the newer front centre airbag but unfortunately, the curtain airbags don’t cover the third row. Which is something to consider if you plan on using that row regularly.

The Sorento has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating and it was tested not that long ago in 2020.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats in the middle row and three top tether anchor points. Interestingly, the third row also boasts two ISOFIX child seat mounts and two top tether anchor points. There is enough room with a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.

The Rexton has a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, and this includes seven years of roadside assistance and seven years of capped-price servicing.

Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km, at a listed $375 a service.

Ongoing costs are always something to consider and the Sorento comes with Kia’s seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which is above average for the market.

The Sorento comes with a seven-year capped-priced servicing plan, which is better than most but services are a bit expensive at an annual average of $608.

Servicing intervals could get annoying if you travel a lot, they’re at every 12 months or every 10,000km, whichever occurs first.