Ssangyong Rexton vs Ford Endeavour: Comparison

Mahindra has launched the first Ssangyong vehicle in India, the Rexton. This imposing SUV will have the Ford Endeavour as one of its key rivals in the Indian market. Here we take a look at how these two SUVs compare. See updated road test: Mahindra Ssangyong Rexton road test and review – laidback and luxurious

The Ssangyong Rexton is available in only two variants, the RX5 manual transmission and the RX7 automatic. Both the variants are equipped to go off-roading and come with 4×4 with torque on demand and AWD in the manual and automatic respectively. The Ford Endeavour on the other hand comes with three variants: a 4×2 MT, a 4×2 AT and a 4×4 AT. Also see: Ssangyong Rexton launched by Mahindra

Let’s take a closer look at these two SUVs:

Looks and design comparison

The Ssangyong Rexton is based on an old Mercedes M-Class design that Ssangyong had rights to in Korea. The Rexton hence look much classier and up market than the Endeavour which is now a tad too traditional looking. Ford also lost a lot of Endeavour fans when it gave it a face-lift taking away its popular rectangular headlamps and more rugged appeal.

Overall the Rexton with its imposing grille and huge ground clearance looks better than the Endeavour. The Endeavour is a very long SUV and it still has its fans, so if you like the elongated SUV look, then the Endeavour might be a better bet for you.

Engines compared

The Rexton is powered by a five-cylinder 2.7 litre (2,696 cc) diesel engine that puts out 162 bhp of power and 340 Nm of torque in the RX5 MT and 184 bhp of power and 402 Nm of torque in the RX7 AWD.

The RX5’s engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission with a four-wheel drive system that features torque-on-demand. It’s primarily a rear-wheel drive with power going to the front on demand. The RX7’s engine comes with a five-speed automatic transmission with full-time AWD in a 60:40 rear-front bias.  The Endeavour has a 2,499 cc motor that makes 142 bhp of power and 330 Nm of torque on the 4×2 MT, while there is a 2953 cc engine that makes 155 bhp of power and 380 Nm of torque on the 4×2 AT and the 4×4 AT. The engines are mated to a 5-speed manual and two 5-speed automatic transmission variants.

Ride and handling compared

The Mahindra Ssangyong Rexton and the Ford Endeavour are both large vehicle, with ladder on frame chassis. However, the Rexton has the edge with its all-round independent suspension system compared to the archaic leaf spring suspension in the Ford Endeavour. The Rexton also makes far more power from its engine. However, in the Rexton, the way the power is delivered is in a lazy laidback manner. The Endeavour has slightly better response that way. But the Rexton is far quieter and more refined than the Endeavour and steering feel, although light, is much more precise than the Ford Endeavour.

In corners, the Rexton has quite a bit of body roll compared to the Ford Endeavour, which is stiffer. But in terms of ride comfort at low speeds, the Rexton gobbles up bad roads and undulations much better than the Endeavour without upsetting its occupants, while the Endeavour tends to have a more harsh ride quality.

But when it comes to offroad prowess, there’s no beating the Ford Endeavour. Even though it may have slightly lower ground clearance than the Rexton, it has a firm suspension and can take a real beating off-road. The Rexton top-end variant is an all-wheel drive with a 60:40 (rear-front) power bias, that can just about handle mild off-road duties. The Endeavour with its low-range 4×4 gearbox is better suited for more serious off-road duties.

Also read: Ford Endeavour AT road test

Comfort and features compared

The Rexton comes with four airbags, ABS, EBD, hill-descent control and electronic stability program in the RX7 variant, while the RX5 has two airbags. The RX7 variant also gets an 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat, while the RX5 has a manually adjustable 8-way driver’s seat. The Endeavour offers features like AC, 4 power windows ABS and EBD. So in terms of features the Rexton has an edge over the Endeavour.

The Rexton has a large wheelbase of 2835 mm–freeing up lots of interior space and the most ground clearance among all SUVs in its class: 252 mm!

Price, mileage and VFM comparison

The Mahindra Rexton is priced at Rs. 17.75 lakh for the RX5 and Rs. 19.75 lakh for the RX7 variant, which are both very attractive prices. The Rexton has a claimed fuel economy of 12.4 kmpl for the manual and 11.18 kmpl for the automatic. The Ford Endeavour starts at Rs.18.19 lakh for the base 4×2 MT variant, Rs. 19.55 lakh for the 4×2 AT variant and 21.19 lakh for the 4×4 AT variant. It has a claimed mileage of 13 kmpl for the AT variants and 11 kmpl for the manual variant. Overall the Rexton is a much better choice than the Endeavour due to its lucrative price.