KGM Rexton SUV - Practicality & boot space

​At a little less than five metres long, the SsangYong Rexton is a big car. Its interior, however, isn't quite as generous as you might expect from the outside. It matches similarly priced rivals on this front, but doesn't eclipse them.

KGM Rexton interior space & storage

Occupants may find the Rexton a little tricker to climb into than some SUVs because its floor is a little higher than most, and the vehicle we tested was fitted with running boards to make this easier. The doors open to a wide angle, but the apertures are a little narrower than those of some rivals.

There's plenty of space behind the wheel for all but the very tallest drivers, although the footwell can be a little cramped if you have big feet. There's a wide range of adjustment available for the seat and steering wheel, the latter of which adjusts for angle and reach. The front seat passenger has plenty of space to stretch out, and there's ample headroom for all on board. The front compartment has plentiful storage spaces in the centre console and large door bins.

Those in the back are likely to find legroom sufficient, but the middle row seats aren’t as flexible as the individual items in some rivals that can recline and slide separately. You access the third row via a tip and fold seat, so there’s a pretty wide gap but you also need to be pretty nimble. Although the seats in the third row are less generously padded, the fact that there's only two of them means that shoulder room is more generous. Legroom is a little restricted compared to the second seating row, and the squab is lower which raises your knees. It’s fine for kids, but not as comfy for adults as the bigger Land Rover Discovery.

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Boot space

With a considerable overhang behind the rear wheel, the boot of the Rexton is unsurprisingly vast. The tailgate actually opens to below the level of a relatively high loading platform; on five seat models this is actually a false floor which can be lifted to unlock additional space beneath. The benefit of the false floor is that it allows an entirely flat load area when the second row of seats is folded down, unlocking a total of 1,806 litres in carrying capacity.

With the second row of seats in use, bootspace is still impressive at 820 litres, and it's a wide, deep space into which the wheel arches only intrude a little. While the boot floor is carpeted, the materials that line the sides of the boot can't match the quality of the interior fittings and betray the SsangYong's slightly budget roots.

The folding third row of seats occupies the space beneath that false floor when not in use, but the boot still offers a reasonable 240 litres of space, even when they're in place.

Towing

The Rexton's towing capability is one of its greatest virtues. Every version claims a 750kg unbraked trailer capacity but it's the ability to tow a 3,500kg braked trailer that really impresses. This, four-wheel drive and a low-ratio transmission mode mean it should make short work of hauling a boat trailer up a greasy slipway, or pulling a large caravan from a muddy campsite.