Spied - Ssangyong Rexton facelift testing in China; Is this the version for India?

Mahindra exhibited the Rexton at the Delhi Auto Expo and we weren't the only ones who felt the need for a redesign. The Rexton joining hands with the Korando will sit above the XUV500. Mahindra has announced that the Rexton's launch will be conducted by November 2012.

Examining its ecosystem, the competition is very stiff and unforgiving. As many of the Rexton's rivals are either CBU or CKD models, they the latest in terms of design, technology and features.

Mahindra testing the Rexton with no camouflage in India is not news. Ssangyong testing the facelift of the Rexton since late last year in Korea is again not hot news for Indian Autos Blog reader.

Today, thanks to our Chinese friends at CarNewsChina.com and auto.sohu.com, we present photographs of the same car testing in the land of dragons. CarNewsChina reports that the first market the Rexton facelift will be shipped to is India.  Soon after its South Korean entry in 2011, knock-down kits will be shipped to one of Mahindra's production lines in Maharashtra.

Mahindra has remained tight-lipped about the Rexton's  configuration. It goes without saying that a diesel engine is a must. The seven-seater will clash with segment titan Toyota Fortuner which as early as last month was given a cosmetic makeover along with 4x2 and AT variants.

Can Mahindra manage to sell a good number of vehicles in price bands that they've never been to? Will India buy a 20 lakh rupees Ssangyong, a brand many haven't heard of before?

[Source - auto.sohu.com via CarNewsChina.com]