2022 SsangYong Rexton goes back to Black: New Black Edition tops the range of Isuzu MU-X, Ford Everest SUV rival

SsangYong has jumped on the ‘black pack’ train by launching a new version of its Rexton SUV.

The large seven-seat off-road wagon line-up will now be topped by the Black Edition which, as its name suggests, adds a dark and brooding look to the Rexton. A company spokesperson confirmed that it will be a permanent variant in the Rexton line-up.

The Black Edition is based on the current range topper, the Ultimate, but it adds a black diamond-shaped front grille, black roof rails and 20-inch alloy wheels, and new LED front fog lights.

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Metallic paint options are limited to Space Black or Pearl White.

Pricing for the Black Edition is set at $56,585 drive-away, which is $1595 more than the Ultimate.

Other standard gear found in the Ultimate and the Black Edition include a power tailgate, sunroof, quilted Nappa leather interior, heated leather steering wheel, a wireless phone charger, 8.0-inch multimedia system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a full suite of active safety gear.

Under the bonnet is SsangYong’s 2.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine pumping out 149kW/441Nm. It is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels.

SsangYong isn’t the first carmaker to offer blacked-out versions of its models. Mitsubishi, Renault, Toyota, Kia and more have sold limited-edition black pack versions of some of their most popular models in recent years.

Rexton sales are up by 198 per cent in the first quarter of the year compared with the same period in 2021. SsangYong has found 280 homes for the Rexton from January to March, outpacing the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, but well off the pace of other ute-based SUVs like the Isuzu MU-X (2534 sales), Ford Everest (1896) and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (2236).

The Rexton is SsangYong’s second-best seller in Australia behind the mechanically related Musso ute (332).