Utes of recent years have been growing bigger and bigger.
The Ford Ranger set the market standard with its size and spaciousness on launch, and the rest of the market rushed to catch up.
Now the Holden Colorado, Isuzu D-Max, Volkswagen Amarok, Mazda BT-50, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton are all far bigger than they have been traditionally.
And they have all just been trumped.
The SsangYong Rhino XL has arrived and offers pretty much the most space you can have in a ute without buying something American.
And it is size where it counts – in the tray.At a little over 1.6 metres and 1.57 metres wide, the tray is 300mm longer than the standard Rhino model, and around 100mm longer than competitors.
That means you can hold larger items without leaving the tailgate down.
Not only is your concrete mixer and paving slabs more likely to stay put, on the weekend your mountain bikes will fit without taking a wheel off.
Payload rises in the XL over the standard model to a healthy 1060kg, while towing capacity for the automatic models matches the market leaders at 3500kg.
Part of the reason for the gain in loading capacity is the switch from a coil sprung rear end to traditional leaf springs.
That does come with a slight penalty in ride over poor surfaces, though we think the Rhino still rides very well – possibly another benefit of the long wheelbase.
Being on 17-inch wheels rather than 20-inch units from the standard model also likely helped.
Overall, the four-wheel drive SPR model we drove felt nice on the road.
Along with the aforementioned ride, roll was well controlled and steering light and nicely direct.
The two-wheel drive petrol version tops this again with some of the best steering we have felt in a ute.
The four-wheel drive system is controlled by a dial behind the transmission shifter.
It is shift on the fly with a low range transfer cars.
In our extended test we did not get a chance to take the Rhino off-road, but our launch experience indicates the standard Rhino is a fairly capable beast.
The diesel engine in the SPR is a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged unit producing 133kW and 420Nm.
It is a very refined engine, and does the job well, though lacks a little midrange oomph when overtaking.
The six-speed automatic transmission fitted (six-speed manual is an option) is slick, and can be shifted through economy, wet and performance modes – we favoured the latter.
If your ute budget is limited you may also like to consider the petrol version of the Rhino, available in entry-level specifications with a 2-litre four-cylinder turbo power plant producing 166kW and 350Nm.
It is a smooth, quiet operator, though likes a drink – our mix of most rural driving returned around 12-litres per 100km to the diesel’s 9 litres per 100km.
The range-topping SPR model we drove was very well specified for a ute: Leather seats, dual zone air-conditioning, an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat, six-way adjustable passenger seat (both with heating options), a digital dash display and 8-inch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a very handy 360-degree reversing camera.
A word of caution, the entry level models don’t get a reversing camera or parking sensors, making them a little bit of a nightmare to park.
The cabin, lifted almost exactly from the donor Rexton SUV, is a lovely place to be.
It is well screwed together, the front seats are large and comfortable and visibility excellent.
The rear seat has a 27-degree rake, which means comfort levels closer to a car than a ute, and enough space for Kev and the lads to be comfortable.
Cruise control is standard, though even on the SPR that is where driver assistance features end.
That is disappointing, when Toyota has just made its Safety Sense suite standard across the Hilux range, and even the LDV T60 has lane departure warning.
Also lacking are side and curtain airbags on the lower models.
Still, it is hard to argue the XL does not offer great value.
The petrol models start from $27,990, while the SPR model tops the range at $45,490 plus GST.
That is just a $2000 step up over the standard model, and well worth it.
The Rhino XL really impresses, and should be on any ute buyer’s shopping list.
