KGM Actyon K50 long-term test: Korean SUV proves memorable if nothing else

Verdict

Is it a Kia Sorento? It is a Range Rover Sport? Few bystanders seem to have a clue, but the Actyon’s sharp styling certainly attracts attention. Its old-school drivetrain is proving less compelling, though, with sluggish performance and so-so fuel economy.

• Mileage: 1,790 miles
• Efficiency: 30.1mpg

Google’s global monopoly on the question and answer business isn’t looking as secure as it once did. You can still find stuff out by typing into an online search box, but the box is less likely to be Google’s and even if it is, artificial intelligence is increasingly likely to be behind the reply. 

Ask Google’s Gemini AI, “what is the boxy-looking white SUV that just drove past me?” and it is understandably none the wiser. “It’s tough to say definitively what boxy-looking white SUV just drove past you without more information,” says our machine overlord. 

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Why would I be searching the internet to identify a mystery SUV? The answer is the KGM Actyon, a boxy white SUV that’s devoid of badges up front. I’m well aware of what it is because I’ve been driving it for a few months as part of our long-term test fleet, but many people haven’t got a clue what it is. 

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This is definitely a car that hides its true identity more effectively than most. The lack of badging or lettering on the nose is made more confusing by styling that has an odd knack for reminding you of various other SUVs, often all at once. It’s a tricky one to pin down, even though there’s a slightly apologetic ‘KGM’ in the corner of the tailgate.

We’ve learned a lot about the Actyon so far. Its size and interior space are obvious strengths. It’s also well equipped for the £37,000 being asked. The driving experience, however, leaves a bit more to be desired. We’ve probably all been spoiled a bit by 

the silent, surging acceleration of modern electric cars, but the KGM’s 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine feels a bit out of its depth. It’s a small-ish direct-injection petrol unit with 161bhp and only 280Nm of torque being asked to power a 4.7-metre-long, 1.6-tonne SUV. Hence the 10.8-second 0-62mph time and fuel economy that hovers around the 30mph mark in mixed driving. 

The Actyon is made to feel all the more ponderous by its sometimes slow-witted six-speed automatic gearbox. It’s not the most trustworthy unit when you want to make a brisk getaway and I find myself waiting for a bigger gap in traffic than I otherwise would because of the delay when you put your foot down. That probably isn’t a bad thing overall, though, and the Actyon definitely does coax you into a more measured driving style by being slow on the uptake and rather thirsty.

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The steering is very light for an SUV and many might prefer that for town driving, but on A and B-roads this lack of weight, combined with the lane-departure assist system, make the Actyon quite a handful. It’s pretty hard to place the sizable SUV accurately on narrow twisting roads because of the vagueness of the steering set-up; and it’s all compounded by the beeping and tugging on the steering wheel if you venture near the white lines. 

The shrill noises of the driver-assist and speed-limit warning systems in the Actyon’s moody black and red leather interior make me wonder if its designers were inspired by a night at a Berlin techno club. At least the safety aids are easy to deactivate via the shortcut menu on the touchscreen.

The Actyon is better getting around town than it is on A-roads, especially if you drive in a relaxed manner. You just have to live with a suspension set-up that lets you feel the bumps more than in other similar SUVs and often crashes into potholes or other bigger imperfections. Motorway driving is probably the car’s strongest suit. Wind flutter and engine noise aren’t bad at speed, and the fuel economy can easily improve to 40mpg when you’re sitting in top gear and not revving the engine too high. 

Bystanders might not have any clue what the Actyon is when they see it, but they should try spending a few months with it. The time will be more memorable than in many mid-size SUVs, with the obvious strengths and clear weaknesses making themselves felt without any need to ask Google.

KGM Actyon K50: first fleetwatch

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Our KGM Actyon impresses by carrying more than you could in a BMW X5

The KGM Actyon is not without its shortcomings, but one area where it most definitely does not come up short – or narrow or shallow – is the boot. The Actyon might be priced like a mid-size SUV, from £38,649, but its 668-litre boot is bigger than you’ll find in a BMW X5.

I’ve been putting the space to the test with a huge load of top soil – and if you do need even more room, the seats fold down flat to free up a vast 1,580 litres.

KGM Actyon K50: first report

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To succeed in the packed mid-sized SUV segment, the KGM Actyon needs to be able to challenge more premium rivals

• Mileage: 751 miles
• Efficiency: 32.2mpg

If you’re looking for a cheap new car, your options aren’t what they used to be. The legislative bar has been raised to a level where manufacturers can’t seem to deliver models that are clean and safe enough at prices that dramatically undercut rivals. We’ve also seen a scramble by established brands to vacate the cheaper end of the market and avoid going head-to-head on price with Chinese newcomers. All that puts the KGM Actyon in an interesting place and makes it a perfect candidate for a long-term test.

The brand formerly known as SsangYong has always had value-for-money at its heart in the UK, but with new cars like the Actyon mid-size SUV, it too is trying to shift itself a bit further upmarket. 

A list price of £36,995 looks tempting for a car of this size that’s as well equipped as the Actyon, but it’s not a deal that will see you raise your eyebrows in that way that some SsangYong models did in the past. 

Instead, the Korean brand is banking on the Actyon’s interior space, specification levels and design to allow it to compete on close to level terms with the likes of the Kia Sportage, Peugeot 3008 and Volkswagen T-Roc. We’re keen to find out if that’s misplaced confidence or a realistic possibility, and six months of living with the car should be a foolproof way of doing exactly that. 

The Actyon is offered with just the one powertrain, a single trim level and only a smattering of options, so if you find yourself getting flustered by the amount of choice on some modern cars, it’ll be a refreshing change. Our test car is in Grand White, the only free colour choice, while all the others cost an extra £650. You can also get side steps, towbars, a dog guard and protective mats for the interior, but that’s about it. Even if you tick every available option box, you’ll struggle to raise the price over the £40,000 mark.

My first impressions are that it doesn’t look bad or seem obviously cheap and cheerful in terms of its fit and finish. There are hints of Kia Sorento about the front end, and Range Rover Sport at the rear, with KGM adopting a traditionally boxy SUV design. The handle-like attachments on the bonnet are a strange addition, but the diamond-cut alloy wheels are fetching – although at 20 inches, they look a little small against the bulky body. 

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Things get even better inside, where the car’s size gives the KGM a major advantage in terms of interior space. It’s particularly noticeable in the back seats – which I find offer plenty of head and legroom, even at six-feet tall – and in its vast 668-litre boot. 

What was less expected is the quality of the interior. The Actyon genuinely holds its own next to mainstream rivals in terms of sturdiness, materials and design. When you sit in the driver’s seat, on the leather and suede seats, and look out across the neatly stitched dash with its 12.3-inch central touchscreen and digital driver’s display, you aren’t instantly reminded that you’ve saved £3,000 over an equivalent Kia. 

The infotainment system gives the game away a little, though. You often have to prod the screen more than once to make inputs and although it has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, they aren’t wireless. 

There’s a fixed panel for the heating and ventilation controls, so they’re always within reach, but I find the areas you have to push a bit fiddly and too small to use while you’re driving. There’s loads of storage, though, including wide door pockets and a big central bin, as well as powered, ventilated and heated front seats, heated rear seats, sunblinds on the back doors, 360-degree cameras and a powered tailgate. You couldn’t really expect much more in a sub-£40k family car. 

So far, then, things are looking promising for our new long-term test car, but despite this, the first few weeks with the KGM haven’t all been sweetness and light. Our biggest concern is its performance. It uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine with 161bhp that’s used to drive the front wheels, and it highlights how spoiled we’ve become by the punchy acceleration of EVs in today’s market. The 10.8-second 0-62mph sprint feels pretty slow and you often find yourself having to work the engine quite hard to get out of junctions or up hills, at which point it can sound harsh. There’s also a tendency towards  wheelspin on greasy roads with the steering set to anything other than straight ahead. 

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It’s early days, but there’s a wide variation in the fuel economy we get from the Actyon, too. Although as much as 40mpg is possible on the motorway, around town it struggles to get out of the mid-twenties. Officially, it should do 33.1mpg combined, which feels about right as an average, but higher engine revs have a big impact on fuel efficiency. 

But probably the biggest drawback, so far, is the ride quality, which is choppy to say the least. On urban roads, with the usual assault course of drain covers and potholes, the Actyon isn’t as comfortable as others in its class, although matters improve on smoother surfaces. On the open road you also have to get used to the bleeping from the lane-departure warning system, together with its regular tugs on the steering wheel. Happily, you can turn these driver aids off through a sub-menu on the infotainment system and there’s a ‘favourites’ shortcut on the chunky hexagonal steering wheel as well. 

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.