David says: Make no mistake, the SsangYong Rexton means business.

Pitching in against some of the biggest, butchest off-roaders on sale, the Rexton joins the hard men of the 4x4 market.

Physically in the same league as the Mitsubishi Shogun, Land Rover Discovery and Jeep Grand Cherokee, it offers loads of space inside, but more importantly the ability to work hard, dragging extremely large objects around the countryside.

So if you have a boat, caravan or a horse trailer, listen up, as this vehicle was made for you.

SsangYong has been building 4x4s since 1953 and over the years has been associated with some fairly odd creations. Hands up if you remember the 1990s’ Korando – Korea Can Do – which was little more than a military vehicle softened up, a little, for road use. The styling of the seven-seater Rodius people carrier continues to draw some uncharitable remarks.

But the firm has started to learn its lesson in Europe, and since the operation of the South Korean company in the UK was taken over by Koelliker UK, the entire model line-up has been given a makeover.

What has not changed is some serious value for money. All three SsangYong Rexton models, priced from £19,995, have all-wheel-drive and a five-cylinder, Mercedes-licensed, 2.7-litre turbo-diesel engine which, while not the most refined diesel engine on the road, delivers bucketloads of pulling power. The addition of five-speed Mercedes-Benz T-Tronic automatic transmission adds another £1,500.

For a large 4x4 the ride is not bad, although it can get unsettled when running on poorer road surfaces, but grip is good and the car is protected by an electronic stability program to help if things get out of shape.

Other advanced technology includes hill descent control, which is useful when negotiating slippery off-road sites. Anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution are standard, along with electric windows and door mirrors.

Steering is a little on the light side as with so many Korean vehicles, but it is direct and responsive.

The interior of the car, while still boasting more than its fair share of hard plastic, is cleanly designed, with switchgear and instrumentation logically laid out and easy to use. Leather upholstery, climate control and cruise control make long-distance cruising a pleasure. A six-speaker Kenwood CD player and RDS radio have controls on the steering wheel.

A criticism in the past of the Rexton came when parking, as it is difficult to judge the position of the rear of the vehicle, especially at night with heavily-tinted rear glass. A set of rear parking sensors on the new models quickly overcame that problem.

To emphasis the sort of market on which SsangYong is focused, earlier this year the light commercial version of the Rexton 270 S, the £15,995 Rexton C-S, was judged ‘Best 4x4 Van’ by 4x4 Magazine, beating the short wheelbase Mitsubishi Shogun Commercial into second place.

In a nutshell the Rexton is a big, no-nonsense beast built to work and play hard. Not one for softies.

Marie says: The gentle, Tinkerbell-like tinkling that greets you when you climb aboard the SsangYong Rexton might, for a moment, lead you to believe this car had a feminine side. You would be wrong.

The gentle chime that reminds you that you have put/left the key in the ignition is it, in terms of a softer side.

The Rexton looks big and beefy. And that is just what it is.

This is a hulking great 4x4 designed to do a job and the tougher the task, the more you imagine the car will enjoy it.

A quick flick through the Rexton brochure backs up your initial impression about who this vehicle is designed to appeal to.

Page three has an image of a mud-splattered Rexton in the middle of a field hitched up to a double-axle trailer with its owner in the background playing Bob the Builder in a ditch with a yellow mini-digger.

Turn the page and Rexton is speeding off on holiday towing a whopping caravan with two mountain bikes clamped to a roof-rack.

Over the page again and the Rexton is covered in mud yet again surrounded by sheep with a burly farmer slamming down the massive tailgate.

One last turn of the page and there we are halfway up what might be a Himalayan foothill again hitched up to a huge cattle trailer.

Despite these macho images, the Rexton is a piece of cake to drive. Inside, the cruise-controlled test model was all air-conditioned and squashy leather cosiness.

Instrumentation is clear and an automatic gearbox meant an effortless, if somewhat soft, ride.

With such a big body there are loads of storage spaces dotted around the cabin.

Mind you, its macho meatiness did have its plus points.

With a daughter at university I have become adept at sniffing out other people’s unwanted items and for my Steptoe and Son-like forays around the county, the Rexton proved simply brilliant.

Pull the catches on the rear seats and both of them fold flat to turn the Rexton into a vehicle with the carrying capacity of a small van.

Just as well, as I needed every cubic inch of carrying space as in one weekend I swept up a vacuum cleaner, one of those older widescreen televisions that weigh as much as a Mini, four dining room chairs and a woman’s bicycle.

The Rexton is certainly no toy, but it is one for the boys.

Auto facts SsangYong Rexton 270 SPR

  • Price: £24,995
  • Insurance group: 14
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 30.7mpg
  • Top speed: 121mph
  • Length: 185.8in/472cm
  • Width: 73.6in/187cm
  • Luggage capacity: 47cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 17.6 gallons/80 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 233g/km
  • Warranty: Five years/250,000 miles