Mahindra SsangYong Rexton RX7 (AT) Vs Toyota Fortuner 4x4 MT

Mahindra SsangYong Rexton RX7 (AT) Vs Toyota Fortuner 4x4 MT

It is not only difficult but mind-numbingly boring as well to try differentiate family buses like these two based on numbers. But this is exactly the kind of challenge that I like to take up from the scruff of its neck. To get the best out of this comparison test, I have picked up the top-end models for both these mammoths. And the simple equation comes down to South Korea Vs Japan - Automatic Transmission Vs Manual Transmission & Power Vs Reliability. Let’s get cracking and look at these cars objectively because that is the safest possible way to see who the clear winner is.

Road Presence (Looks):
There is no denying the fact that people actually opt for cars like these because they want a big, bulky, no nonsense presence on the road. It is as if they would like to scare the other motorists on the move. You blow your horn in either of these and you can see the road ahead emptying up for you. On the contrary, if you blow your horn twice as hard plus swear on idiots in front while you are in a car like Santro, no-one gives a blind piece of notice and keep on irritating you. So which one of these takes the crown here? It would have to be the Fortuner. I mean the Rexton is longer and wider in dimensions but the looks aren’t intimidating enough. The Fortuner on the other hand is taller and carries the huge bulk of its mass in a much more dominating manner. Where the Rexton is more sophisticated in looks, the Fortuner is shamelessly aggressive in looks. It is this aggression which does the trick much more easily.
Score: Rexton 0 – Fortuner 1.

Performance:
Let’s look at the Japanese offering first. It comes with a 4-cylinder 3.0 litre engine with a turbocharger pumping out 170 horses. But the really impressive bit is the torque which is 343Nm. This gives you a very meaty feel when you get inside and accelerate from a standstill. The manual gearbox does justice to the power available from the engine. With 4WD, you have endless grip on the road and for rough terrains as well. On the other hand we have the Rexton with a 5-cylinder 2.7 litre engine. Although the engine capacity is less but it has another cylinder to play with and that is why it is more powerful than the Toyota with 185 South Korean Ponies and more than 400Nm of torque. More power means and slightly smaller wheels means faster acceleration and higher top-speed. Although the gearbox is slightly slow on the way down on hard braking, it is totally depends on how quickly or quietly you exercise your feet when in motion. So, on the performance front, we have the Rexton as the clear winner.
Score: Rexton 1 – Fortuner 1.

Comfort, In-car Toys and Safety:
In both these cars, the seats are comfortable and there is ample space for everyone, be it your kids or an over-sized XXXL friend/aunt/acquaintance of yours. With all seats erect in all three rows, the Fortuner manages to keep a more commodious boot space. The look and feel of the cabin is better on the Rexton as it comes with lots of fancy tricks to pamper you. For instance, as you open the door, the electric driver seat and the steering column move apart to make getting in and getting out much easier. More differences kick in when you are on the move. Fortuner’s cabin is slightly noisier when compared to the much more refined sound insulation of the Rexton. Fortuner is also better at braking in case on emergency manoeuvres and is far more stable at higher speeds. Because of their size, they are both vulnerable to body roll at low speeds but even here the Toyota is better as it handles its body weight much better. On the safety front the Rexton has 4 Airbags, 2 more than the Fortuner. However, the Fortuner comes with a reversing camera which is missing on the top-spec model of the Rexton. Moving on to the in-car toys, both these cars are stuffed with touch screen entertainment centres. Overall, I would say a dead heat between the two foreign giants in this section.
Score: Rexton 2 – Fortuner 2.

Price, Fuel Economy and After-Sales:
This is where the Fortuner not only wins, but knocks the competition out completely. Yes, the Fortuner is more than 3 lacs dearer than the Rexton which is a lot of money. But, consider this – the Fortuner is more fuel efficient, be it in hop around town or in a cross-state journey. Moreover, the kind of network that Toyota has throughout India is unbeatable. The service costs are cheaper for the Toyota as well. For a normal paid service, the difference between the costs would be in excess of 10K. Then we arrive at the question of reliability. I don’t want to take anything away from the SsangYong brand here but competing against a Toyota product on reliability is like running a 100 metre sprint against Usain Bolt just for the heck of it. Toyota shines through on both after-sales service and on the re-sale value that it manages to retain.
Final Score: Rexton 2 – Fortuner 3.

Although the final score is a close one, but when spending nearly 25 lac of your rupees on a car, you need peace of mind. That is exactly what Toyota delivers in spades. The Rexton is a good car and does beat the Japanese rival on a number of fronts. It is cheaper than the Fortuner, has a cabin which is much more welcoming and is more comfortable on long runs. But with unimpeachable reliability, rugged looks and a more spacious cabin (after being shorter in overall length), the Toyota Fortuner is the logical choice.