New £37k KGM Actyon SUV to rival Kia Sportage
New KGM Actyon family SUV will major on practicality and deliver up to 161bhp, but its rivals include some of Britain's best-sellers...
On sale February 2025 Price from £36,995
If you’ve never heard of KGM, then you’re probably not the only one. Even when it was known as Ssangyong, the brand never became the household name. However, the Korean brand is aiming to change that with its new KGM Actyon SUV.
It would be easy to say that the Actyon is a more rakish version of the KGM Torres SUV, because they share plenty of similarities in their appearance and platform.
But KGM intends to set the Actyon apart as the first car released under the its new brand name, and is aiming to turn buyer's heads away from the likes of the Kia Sportage, one of the biggest-selling cars in the UK.
The Actyon will be available with the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and six-speed automatic gearbox as in the Torres, with an output of 161bhp and 207lb of torque. That’s more powerful than the top-of-the-range Sportage, but the Honda CR-V is punchier still. Even so, in the Torres, that engine requires some effort to get moving, and the automatic gearbox is slow to react.
The Actyon should officially return fuel economy of 33.1mpg, which is on the lower end of what you’d expect for a purely combustion-powered large SUV, and fractionally less than the Torres.
We've already driven the KGM Actyon, and found that it offers a pretty composed ride over lumps and bumps in the road, even though its suspension is on the firmer side, so it never quite feels completely settled. The steering can feel a bit vague around sharp corners, although for the size of the car it had an impressively tight turning circle.
Outside, the Actyon combines a coupé-style roofline with reworked front and rear ends that blend aspects from both the Torres and its electrified sibling, the EVX. Instead of the grille that the Torres flaunts on its front bumper, the Actyon gets an LED light bar, with daytime running lights inspired by the black elements on the South Korean flag.
Inside, the Actyon gets the same panoramic 12.3in infotainment and digital instrument touchscreens as the Torres, which is clunky in operation and a step behind those in the Hyundai Tuscon and Kia Sportage. It’s slightly disappointing that there are no physical buttons for climate control – this is all adjusted via the central touchscreen, which can be quite a distraction.
The screen is located behind a flat-bottomed steering wheel, which is wide enough to give a good view of the driver’s display. The glovebox provides decent space for a tablet or laptop.
Ambient lighting is customisable, providing a choice of 32 colours. There’s a floating centre console which houses a crystal gear selector, as well as a pocket for wireless phone charging. A 360-degree camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as safety features such as adaptive cruise control and blind spot assist, come as standard.
The Actyon also gets a powered tailgate, which can be activated by kicking your foot under the rear of the car.
It’s undeniable that the Actyon is considerably spacious, with enough rear leg room for taller passengers to stretch out comfortably.
With just five seats on offer, the Actyon won’t be as flexible as some of its rivals, such as the seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq or Kia Sorento. However, it should still be pretty practical, with 668 litres of boot space. That’s more than the Sportage and Volkswagen Tiguan, which has one of the biggest boots in this class. With the rear seats folded, that space increases to 1568 litres. Indeed, it’s extremely spacious, and you should have no problems fitting a nice amount of luggage in there.
While the Torres is available in two trims, K30 and K40, the Actyon will be available in a single, higher-spec trim called K50, which gets plenty of standard kit including heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel and a rear view camera. It’ll be priced at £36,995, which is slightly more than the Torres, but just undercuts the top-spec Sportage. You’ll pay much less for the upcoming Dacia Bigster, though.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
