KGM Actyon review

It's a SsangYong. Except it isn’t. Not any more. The South Korean carmaker – responsible for ropey SUVs like the Korando and Rexton in recent times – changed hands in 2022 and was rebranded entirely the following year.

How did they land on KGM? After flirting with financial ruin when previous owner Mahindra decided to cut ties (and its losses), SsangYong was eventually picked up by KG Group; a South Korean conglomerate that deals in chemicals, steel, fintech, business finance… proper, um, thrill seeking stuff. KG Motor is its new mobility division. Hence KGM.

And what of the Action?

No, Ac-tee-on – supposedly a riff on ‘Act young’ and ‘Act on’. Although that hasn’t stopped KGM going big on a ‘Lights, Camera, Actyon!’ ad campaign, coming soon to a cinema near you. It’s a recycled nameplate from the SsangYong days, formerly used on an SUV and pick-up.

This Actyon is the first new car under the new parent firm. KGM calls it a coupe SUV, which we’d ridicule if it weren’t for the boxier Torres SUV on which the Actyon is derived from. KGM, we’ll let you off this time. It’s dwarfed only by the seven-seat Rexton, and sits above the Korando and entry-SUV that is the Tivoli. The big seller is… none of these. That title belongs to the Musso pick-up truck.

It looks… interesting.

It’s certainly no shrinking violet. The front end is styled around the South Korean flag under the rallying call of ‘practical creativity’ (designers love a mantra), with angles and lines mimicking everything from Hyundai to Range Rover. Does it stand out? In isolation yes, because it’s hooge. In a crowd? No. Looks too fussy to us and the lack of a recognisable brand doesn’t help the sense of anonymity.

The Actyon is a peculiar pitch from KGM. The brand as a whole is committed to its left-field, low-cost niche of the market, shunning the premium ticket chased by so many others… but if it’s premium you want from your affordable steed, this is what KGM wants you to buy. Eh?

And let me guess, it’s a hybrid, plug-in, electrified thingy.

Swing and a miss because KGMs sell in such small numbers over here, they’re safe from rules compelling mainstream manufacturers to sell increasing numbers of EVs until petrol and diesel are banned for good in 2030. So rather than complicate its line-up (and add cost) KGM is sticking with internal combustion here, although it’s already taken the plunge with an electric version of the Torres having worked in cahoots with BYD. Now there’s an acronym you’ve definitely seen before.

In the here and now, the Actyon gets a 1.5-litre 4cyl turbo-petrol cranking out 161bhp and torqueage of 207lb ft, deployed through the front wheels via a six-speed auto. That results in 0-62mph in 10.8 seconds. Pretty ponderous these days.

KGM quotes 33.1mpg WLTP. Ha! We’ll dig into that on the Driving tab, but the words ‘dream on’ spring to mind.

How much is it and what’s it up against?

The Actyon is pitched at £36,995, with everything KGM could possibly throw at it – 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, nappa leather… all that jazz – included as standard. That’s a lot of money for a supposedly value brand. Head straight to the Buying section of this review for full details.

KGM itself has singled out the Kia Sportage GT-Line S as the C-segment SUV it most wants to pick a fight with, but if you’re shopping in this aisle the likelihood is you’ll be weighing up a Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Karoq, an MG HS, or you may even be holding out for the imminent and superbly-named Dacia Bigster.

Here’s the thing: the equivalent Sportage is a couple of grand more than the Actyon, but there you have the option of trading down kit for a much lower entry price. Here, you don’t. Stuff like the Qashqai and HS actually undercut this significantly. As will the Bigster when it gets here.

The Kia and Nissan are far more competent dynamically, and even our pick of the bunch in that regard – the esteemed Ford Kuga – starts from less. So… what’s the logic, exactly?

As much as KGM has moved things forward with the Actyon, being the premium offering of a budget, alternative brand is a tough, tough gig. The blunt truth is that rival cars have it beaten in almost every department, which is why success for the Actyon will be selling in triple figures.

In many ways the KGM Actyon is a step forward from anything born in the Age of SsangYong. The driving experience isn’t as rough ‘n’ ready; the quality of the interior has improved; the standard kit – the UK only gets the Dalai Lama ‘one with everything spec – is plentiful (and mostly works). If you want a car to get from A to B and have no interest in how it does it, go right ahead.

But of course you care about the how. And in that respect KGM picks up where SsangYong left off, with unsophisticated ride and dynamics, a powertrain and auto ‘box that are out of sync, and compared to its mainstream competitors the Actyon looks expensive. Dacia, for example, has cheap-car charm nailed down to a tee – KGM is still a long way off.