Mahindra SsangYong Rexton wins 2012 ET ZigWheels Premium SUV of the Year

The SsangYong Rexton was really the biggest surprise of the year. It came from an almost unheard of (to most) company from Korea which had filed for bankruptcy before Mahindra acquired it a couple of years back, and now suddenly it's got an SUV aimed at  some of the biggest players in the business in India. And if you look at the company's past portfolio, the quirky SUVs you'll see in there will really leave you doubting the Rexton.

But the Rexton is one of those vehicles that, though it doesn't offer anything groundbreaking, it'll simply blow your mind in the way it shatters your preconceived notions about it. In the flesh, its a properly good looking SUV that offers plenty of features, a comfortable ride, meaty engine and a surprisingly premium build quality both inside and out.

While this is no rock crawler or a corner carver by any means, what it does offer is a magic carpet ride over literally any road surface India can throw at it. Roads which will leave you seething in any other car are handled with the utmost of ease in the Rexton. And just for that, its easy to fall in love with it, especially when you factor in the price as well.