KGM Actyon review
The Actyon is a step in the right direction for KGM, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement
Our opinion on the KGM Actyon
When reviewing every option the mid-size family SUV segment has to offer, we’ve come across many models with both good and bad points. The KGM Actyon has shown us that it has some very obvious strengths (most notably its space and practicality), but in other areas there’s a significant amount of room for improvement. Those coming from KGM’s more rugged models, such as the Musso pick-up and Rexton large SUV, will find some similarities here, but not a great deal more sophistication or refinement.
About the KGM Actyon
The Actyon was the first all-new model from KGM after it changed its name from SsangYong, and it’s closely related to the smaller KGM Torres. This is amid-size SUV, but it’s on the large size for the class, and KGM is looking to snaffle a few sales from the likes of Kia’s big-selling Sportage and the Nissan Qashqai.
The Actyon is a big deal for KGM; the first in a line of eye-catching new products over the next few years, taking it away from SsangYong’s worthy but rather dull design direction.
From the slender front lights and a grille that’s supposed to replicate the markings of the Korean flag, it’s a stand-out look even before you get to the slightly odd but distinctive grab handle-style features at the top of the bonnet, presumably designed to give the Actyon a more rugged appearance. The side features plenty of strong lines and from the rear three-quarters and particularly dead-on rear, there are strong hints of the Range Rover Velar or Range Rover Sport around the tail-lights.
KGM Actyon prices and latest deals
Understanding the KGM Actyon’s pricing structure is easy as there’s only one trim level, the K50. This starts from around £38,650, and dipping into the options list sees the total max out at around £42,500.
Used - available now
2024 Volkswagen
Tiguan
49,024 milesAutomaticPetrol1.4L
Cash £22,900
2022 MG
HS
23,050 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £14,800
2021 Vauxhall
Corsa
30,040 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £9,900
2023 Hyundai
Kona Electric
35,619 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £13,300If you’d like to save an average of £500, you can spec your perfect KGM Actyon via the Auto Express buy a car service. We also have brand-new Actyons in stock, as well as some attractively priced used Actyon deals. We can also help you to sell your car.
Performance & driving experience
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KGM has kept things simple by offering buyers a single engine option. It comes in the shape of a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol that offers up 161bhp and 280Nm; numbers that compare favourably against the VW Group’s 1.5 TSI petrol, which has 148bhp and 250Nm.
We’ve had plenty of experience with those VW Group units over the years, and in comparison, KGM’s offering gives reasonable performance. That peak torque figure arrives early, so it rarely feels like it’s struggling when climbing hills or accelerating in a high gear. In some cases, there’s a little too much torque; combined with a clumsy six-speed automatic gearbox, pulling out of a junction with even moderate urgency can cause the inside front wheel to spin up a little.
The engine is more vocal than a Volkswagen Tiguan’s, but is smoother than the 1.6-litre turbo unit that’s used in the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.
According to exclusive Auto Express research, SUV buyers see handling and performance as a low priority when choosing a car. However, those same buyers consider comfort more important than any other factor. When it comes to handling, plus a major contributing factor to overall comfort – ride quality – the Actyon is poor.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| KGM Actyon K50 | 161bhp | 10.8 seconds | 119mph |
Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
On a car with a 1,580kg kerbweight, 161bhp does a decent job of offering enough performance to hustle the Actyon along, although a 0-62mph time of 10.6 seconds shows it’s modest rather than sparkling.
From a standstill, you do have to plan for a slight delay between prodding the accelerator and the car taking off, which is something to bear in mind when jumping into gaps on a roundabout, for example.
Town driving, visibility and parking
Roughly the same size as a Skoda Kodiaq and Hyundai Santa Fe, the Actyon does feel big in urban areas – despite a surprisingly small turning circle of 10.8 metres. With the KGM’s huge hexagonal-shaped wheel, those low-speed manoeuvres can sometimes feel a bit cumbersome, and the Actyon’s very soft suspension can cause it to wallow around, too.
The graphics for the 360-degree camera are pretty poor, although a standard-fit rear-view camera will always be helpful in a car of this size, as is the front-mounted camera at the end of the huge bonnet.
Country road driving and handling
Weirdly, the low-speed softness of the KGM’s ride transforms into something quite brittle at higher speeds. On country roads, potholes and bumps can shudder though the chassis and unfortunately this doesn’t mean the Actyon’s feedback gets any better, either. In fact, it’s all rather vague from behind the wheel.
Body roll is noticeable, too, although everything happens in a linear, almost slow-motion way so there aren’t any nasty surprises if you do decide to drive the Actyon hard. One thing we did notice was at junctions, the front wheels would wheelspin in a pinch when wet, especially when starting at an angle. We assume this is simply a case of insufficient rubber making contact with the tarmac due to the impressive turning circle.
Of course, cars in the Actyon’s class aren’t the type that will be used for a thrilling Sunday drive, but many other rivals at least offer the reassurance that, if you need to make an emergency manoeuvre or get caught out by an undulating section of road, they have a composure that can keep things on the right track. The Actyon is poor in this area.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
The 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit isn’t particularly powerful and while it doesn’t feel overly reliant on its turbocharger, shifting a car the size of the Actyon requires a bit more punch. It’s fine in day-to-day traffic, though pulling out onto a busy road requires much more planning than some rivals. The six-speed automatic also gets flustered if you’re not smooth with throttle inputs.
At cruising speed the engine’s noise (which can be considerable under acceleration) does die down and we’ve covered many thousands of happy and comfortable motorway miles in the Actyon. There’s still a bit of wind noise, which we’re convinced isn’t helped by the fake bonnet handles, although you’re sitting so high that even if there was road noise you’d be out of earshot anyway.
“Upping the speed doesn’t bring any relief because the persistent fidget to the Actyon’s ride never truly goes away.” - Alex Ingram, chief reviewer.
MPG & running costs
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While we don’t have too much to complain about the way that the 1.5-litre turbo can move the Actyon, the amount of fuel it uses in the process is disappointing. Officially, it’s capable of 33.1mpg, but we have struggled to break 30mpg in mixed use during several months with the car on our long-term test fleet. It’s at its best on the motorway, where almost 40mpg is possible, but at lower speeds it’s very thirsty.
KGM’s low sales volumes mean it doesn’t have to worry about the ZEV Mandate or EV sales targets, so it has stuck with one pure-petrol power option for the Actyon. There’s no hybridisation, let alone electrification, here and that’s painfully obvious from the efficiency figures. The Actyon only returns an official 33.1mpg, which is some way off the best petrol SUVs. A hybrid model is available overseas, but we’re yet to hear if this will make its way to the UK.
| Model | MPG | CO2 | Insurance group |
| KGM Actyon K50 | 33.1mpg | 194g/km | 25 |
Insurance groups
The Actyon is not especially competitive on insurance. At group 25, it sits higher than all but the most expensive and powerful versions of the Tiguan, and two groups higher than the Subaru Forester.
Tax
The petrol-only engine offering means the Actyon is unlikely to catch the eye of company car users, where Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax rates massively punish pure petrols and diesels. Private buyers will be able to take advantage of the fact that its VED road tax rate will be a flat £195 per year from years two to six. However, the luxury car tax will rear its expensive head if you go too mad with the options and push the total price above the £40,000 threshold.
Depreciation
Data from vehicle valuation expert CDL predicts that the Actyon will suffer from fairly steep depreciation when compared with similarly sized competitors.
While many of its rivals hold on to somewhere around half of their value after three years or 36,000 miles, the KGM is expected to maintain 44.8 per cent. This will be less of an issue should you decide to keep your car for a longer period of time (depreciation is worse in the first year or two and then eases off), but there are alternatives that will look after your money better.
Interior, design & technology
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Standard kit is generous, with the Actyon getting 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, rain-sensing wipers and keyless entry as standard. While Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, they do not work wirelessly as is the case in most of the KGM’s rivals. We also found that CarPlay suffered from frequent disconnections for no obvious reason when we were using the system.
Interior and dashboard design
As soon as you open the door, the red-on-black colour scheme gives the whole cabin a sporty and higher-class appearance. From the seatbelts to seat bolsters, dashboard stitching and trim detailing, the red really lifts what could otherwise have been a dark passenger space, and the wood-effect shelf across the middle of the cabin adds another layer of perceived quality, as well as providing a welcome place to rest a hand when using the touchscreen.
Materials and build quality
We have no complaints about the quality of the Actyon, which feels on par with the majority of its more mainstream rivals.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
The 12.3-inch driver’s information display is big, and nice and clear to read, with a choice of screens to scroll through.
The 12.3-inch touchscreen, though, is less high-end. Usability and navigation around the screens is all logical once you work out where everything is, but it’s laggy compared with the best touchscreens in terms of response to inputs. It’s also a shame that KGM has followed the trend of removing physical buttons from the cabin, with no controls outside the touchscreen for the likes of climate functions.
Even demist is on the screen, rather than an easy-to-access button. At least there’s a big ‘favourites’ button on the almost-hexagonal squishy leather steering wheel that can be set to short-cut straight to the climate screen.
“It’s quite nice that none of the physical controls or indeed the infotainment system are shared with other marques, giving the KGM a unique feel.” - Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter.
Boot space & practicality
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One thing the Actyon isn’t lacking is space, for passengers front and rear, or in the boot.
All four outer seats are big and comfortable, and the front ones in particular make for good long-distance companions. The front centre armrest is finished in a nice squishy leather, too, and houses a reasonable stowage area, as well as the wireless changing pad. Up-front there’s also a pair of cup-holders, a useful little angled stowage spot and a big open tray-style area under the armrest.
The door bins will take a big bottle but, as with much of the cabin below eye level, these are made of cheaper plastic material, and aren’t lined, so anything in there slides around noisily. There is a marked difference between the top half of the interior – where everything is of a higher quality than would be expected at this price point and brand – and the harder plastics lower down.
And one clever feature that parents with small children will appreciate is the ability to switch off the rear speakers at the prod of a (touchscreen) button, so you can still have the audio through the front speakers, and little ears in the back can sleep in peace.
One of the Actyon’s biggest trump cards is its standard equipment list. KGM has plumped for a single spec level and thrown everything at the car – metallic paint is the only optional extra. The Actyon comes with 20-inch alloys, heated and ventilated eight-way powered front seats, 360-degree camera and a powered tailgate with hands-free opening via a leg dangled under the rear bumper when your hands are full.
Dimensions and size
At 200mm longer than a Kia Sportage, there’s a huge amount of legroom for rear passengers, especially with the space to slide feet under the front seats, while the tall body and good area of glass mean it feels big and airy in the rear.
| Dimensions comparison | |||
| Model | KGM Actyon | Kia Sportage | Nissan Qashqai |
| Length | 4,740mm | 4,540mm | 4,425mm |
| Width | 1,655mm | 1,865mm | 1,835mm |
| Height | 1,670mm | 1,645mm | 1,625mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,680mm | 2,680mm | 2,670mm |
| Boot space | 668 to 1,568 litres | 526 to 1,780 litres | 436 to 1,598 litres |
Seats & passenger space
The Actyon’s driver’s seat and steering wheel offer plenty of adjustment, so we found it easy to find a comfortable driving position. However, despite the impressive view out of the front, the Actyon is let down by a huge blind spot between the side glass and the rear window. Still, the raised centre console section places a pair of cup-holders between the front occupants, while below it there’s a huge, open shelf.
The back row is undoubtedly the best place to sit in the Actyon. Headroom in particular is superb; of the 220-plus cars we’ve measured up, only a couple of seven-seat SUVs and van-based people-movers offer a higher ceiling than the KGM. Rear kneeroom is fairly generous, too, and the wide bench makes it reasonably comfortable for three. While the seat looks quite flat, it’s soft enough to sink into and feels comfortable and supportive. The floor is fairly flat, so there’s little trouble for three finding enough foot space, which is helped by the big gap between the base of the front seats and the floor.
The backs of the front-seat headrests include a hanger for jackets and suchlike, while the seat pockets have a second, smaller slot for holding a smartphone. ISOFIX points are fitted to the outer two rear seats, but they are buried deep within the seat cushions, so we found them difficult to access.
Boot space
If the space for back seat passengers is impressive, then the Actyon’s boot is even better. At 668 litres, there’s little else in this class that can top it. Buyers would have to turn to larger, pricier seven-seat SUVs to get close, and even then they’d have to make sure the rear seats stayed folded down. A spare wheel is optional; without it, the boot offers loads of underfloor storage – good for keeping valuables out of sight.
Fold down those seats and the total volume grows to 1,568 litres. If we have one small gripe, it’s that there are no levers in the boot to drop the rear seat backs – we had to go around to the side doors and lower them via the levers on the tops of the seats. Once they’re dropped, they don’t quite leave a level load area to work with, either.
Towing
If you find yourself needing even more space, the Actyon offers a disappointing towing weight of 1,500kg for a braked trailer. This is overshadowed by the Kia Sportage, which can tow 1,650kg in petrol form. The 2.0 TSI Volkswagen Tiguan 4MOTION is even better, though, with a maximum braked capacity of 2,200kg.
“There’s a lot of interior storage and it’s all neatly done – except from the section below the centre console. It’s a large space that’s difficult to reach, especially if you’re on the move.” - Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter.
Reliability & safety
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Euro NCAP hasn’t tested the Actyon, but it certainly comes with plenty of safety and driver assistance tech as standard.
Dual airbags for the driver, side curtain airbags for both front and rear rows, lane-departure warning, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assist and plenty more are included. However, we’ve found that the lane-keeping assist is overzealous in everyday use, so we preferred to switch it off – a process that involves diving into a sub-menu on the infotainment system.
KGM has a pretty small presence in the UK at the moment, so neither the brand nor the Actyon itself made an appearance in the most recent Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. KGM seems pretty confident in the Actyon’s reliability, though, as it offers a five-year/100,000 mile warranty as standard. Kia does cover the Sportage for seven years, though.
Buying and owning
- Best buy: KGM Actyon K50
It wasn't too difficult selecting our best buy, as there’s only one specification to choose from, the K50. Fortunately, this model does come with its fair share of standard equipment. However, we have some words of caution, as the addition of too many options will push this SUV into the costly world of luxury car tax.
KGM Actyon alternatives
The KGM Actyon lives within the highly crowded mid-size SUV sector, and there are plenty of appealing alternatives to choose from. The Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai are two big sellers in the UK and further afield, but the likes of the Ford Kuga, Citroen C5 Aircross and Vauxhall Grandland are all strong alternatives, if not quite as big or well-equipped for the money.
Frequently Asked Questions
The KGM Actyon is a car with some notable strengths, particularly in terms of space, practicality, equipment and interior quality, and it looks striking. But the driving experience isn’t quite as polished as the best medium-sized SUVs, especially the ride quality over rutted roads.
Deals on the Actyon and alternatives
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