2019 SsangYong Rexton Interior & Cargo Space Review

How do you stand out in a segment that is filled with compelling choices? When style is subjective, what do you inject in order to impress consumers? 

SsangYong has the answer and delivers. The answer to the questions stated above is to inject the vehicle with Nappa leather, quality materials, and features that will make your head spin or keep you cool in the day, and warm in the night. Here is a closer in-depth look at the lush interior of the SsangYong Rexton 4x4 AT. 

What you will like: Interior fit and finish, motorized front seats, heated and cooled front seats, heated middle seats, generous legroom in the middle row, better than average legroom for the back row, great quality leather, NVH levels are good. 

What you won’t like: Discontinuity from the left button cluster in the dashboard, gear lever is clunky, gear selector is unresponsive, piano black plastics are everywhere. 

One of the great things that SsangYong should be known more for is the look, quality, and feel of its interior. The Rexton is definitely a SsangYong in this regard because it has a nicely embellished interior with many toys for the occupants to play with. If you blindfolded me and sat me inside the Rexton, I wouldn’t have thought that it was just another midsize SUV. The interior fit and finish is a head above the rest of the competitors in its segment, and there are hidden details all around, though the use of piano black plastics is a big con for me. 

Starting out with the Nappa leather interior, you do get two colors, a black and a light brown that is executed nicely. On top of that, you also get quilting all throughout, which adds depth to the Nappa-clad panels. You get it everywhere, from the door cards, the dashboard, and even a panel in the front and middle row seats. To top it all off, every dial has a subtle texture that is alluring, to say the least.

As for features, you do get heated and cooled seats. Now, before we dismiss the usefulness of heated seats, we tend to forget that getting in the car after a sudden downpour will not be comfortable for all, thus heated seats made rainy days just that extra bit more comfortable. Finding a comfortable seating position is easy because not only do you have electric motors, you also have seat memory that allows several profiles to be saved. On the steering wheel, you get an array of buttons for the cruise control, infotainment, and the gauge cluster display.

Legroom for passengers in the middle is great. There is a ton of leg space and shoulder space thanks to the width of the vehicle. On the passenger’s side of the car, you can also control the position of the seat from the back thanks to side-mounted controls. Sitting behind my ideal driving position is a treat, and I stand at five feet, eight inches tall.

There are still some toys that carry over from the front, such as the heated seats. Passengers seated here don’t get cooled seats, unfortunately. Instead, they do get two air conditioning vents, a USB port and a plug for any charger or accessory, even a laptop. You also get a center armrest with two cup holders and a cutout that is wide enough to fit a plus-sized smartphone. There is also a compartment here that unlatches with a press of a button. 

The back row of seats, on the other hand, is good if not better than most other offerings in the market. The middle row doesn’t slide back and forth, but the rear is spacious as it is. Leg space here is immense for a back row, the only two cons are the headroom for taller individuals, and rear visibility due to the small window at the back. Sitting at the back with my height is completely acceptable, and getting in and out is also possible with a two-step process to tumble the middle row seats. It’s no surprise that you get air conditioning vents at the back, but this is present only on one side. To my surprise, SsangYong even put some dampers on the bottom of the middle row to ensure smooth operation and action whenever the middle row is tumbled forward. 

Cargo volume with third row up: 649 liters

Cargo volume with third row down: 820 liters

Cargo volume with middle row down: 1,977 liters

Cargo space in the Rexton is on par with the rest of its competition. Loading things inside the Rexton is a breeze because the second and third rows are completely flat with the inclusion of the false floor that can support up to 60 kilograms of weight on top of it. 

Because the Rexton’s interior space is good, the cargo volume follows suit. It is also important to note that the interior carpeting is also quite good, and not thin. It can take a bag or a heavy-duty piece of equipment without damage. The plastics in the cargo area are also quite durable and can suffer bangs and bruises here and there whenever cargo is loaded or unloaded. 

As a reference, a wheelchair, five people, a month’s worth of groceries, and a day’s worth of shopping can fit comfortably in this car. If you have an out of town trip, you can fit seven with some cargo at the back thanks to the false floor that unlocks even more space in the rear.