KGM Actyon review

A big step up from what we’ve seen of SsangYongs of yore. Which sounds like high praise, but remember we still get sweaty night terrors from the plasticky bobbins that SsangYong used to knock together. The bar for improvement was low.

The Actyon has cleared it. It looks reasonably well put together and the set-up is decidedly 21st century, with a 12.3in instrument display stacked next to a 12.3in touchscreen in one big oblong. Helpfully there’s a shelf underneath so you can rest your hand while you prod at it.

There’s not much physical switchgear, although there are buttons on the steering wheel and a drive rocker in the centre console. All very conventional for an outside choice. Wot, no fog light switch inside the glovebox?

I sense a ‘but’ coming.

But… remember what we said about this being a peculiar car? It’s such a mixed bag of materials in here. The Actyon stops at every station between Fancy Leather City and Scratchy Plasticshire, including Faux Wood Lane, Fake Carbon Fibre Street and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Chromeington along the way. It smacks of a car that doesn’t have a clear idea of what it’s meant to be.

Any other idiosyncrasies? Let’s see… the seats are strikingly short (you notice the lack of chair beneath your thighs straight away) and lack shoulder support too. That little shelf beneath middle vents looks entirely useless. The front passenger is at the mercy of any kids sat behind, because there are recline/back-forth buttons on the outside of the bolster. Oh boy is that going to get irritating.

There’s a handy ‘favourites’ button on the steering wheel, which you can programme to open the boot remotely or any number of other functions. But only one of those functions. Feels like a miss, that.

Is the screen any good?

The graphics are fairly crisp, although we take issue with the size of the icons on the touchscreen, which really ought to be bigger and more jab-friendly. We found the screen to be quite lethargic, but we dare say you’ll get used to the layout after a few days.

One positive: swipe down from the top and there are shortcuts to deactivate the speed limit warning and lane keep assist. Hallelujah. Far too many car makers bury this stuff deep in a digital maze, and it’s infuriating. KGM hasn’t made that mistake.

What’s it like in the back?

Oh there’s oodles of space in the rear. Even six footers will have plenty of head-, knee-, leg- and foot-room. Though again the seats aren’t all that supportive. And the thick C-pillar limits the light back here.

The front headrests are sculpted so you can hang a jacket over the back – at first we thought it was a dodgy attempt at an iPad holster. Alas not.

The rear gets what KGM calls ‘Sleep mode’, which quells the back speakers and electrically reclines the back seats so anyone back there can more easily nod off.

And the boot?

The boot gets 668 litres of luggage space seats up, or 1,568 litres with ‘em down. You can also open the tailgate with a button back here – KGM suggests this is for camping, we reckon it’s an escape method should you be taken Liam Neeson style.

Those numbers make the Actyon more commodious than anything else you’re likely to find in this segment, so if bigness is what you need… and don’t be misled by that flat floor, underneath there’s oodles more storage for any clobber you’d rather hide away.