KGM SsangYong is at one and the same time a brand trying to reinvent itself and yet also remind us that it’s been around a long time. In fact, the company last year celebrated 70 years of making cars (although in 1954 it started as Dong-A Motors — name changes are nothing new under the sun).
The SsangYong name came along in the 1980s, as the brand started to go global alongside fellow Korean expansionists Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo.
While Hyundai and Kia headed for the upper reaches of the sales charts, though, SsangYong stalled and had to be bought out. More than once. The first time was by Daewoo, which was itself bought out (and eventually dumped) by General Motors. Then China’s SAIC had a go, before India’s Mahindra took over the brand.
That effort collapsed too, and so in 2022 SsangYong was bought out by the vast KG Group, a Korean conglomerate with interests in everything from steelmaking to coffee shops. Globally, SsangYong has now rebranded as KG Mobility, except here in Australia, where the SsangYong part of name remains.
Not satisfied with keeping the SsangYong name around, KGM SsangYong has also dipped into its own back catalogue for the badge for this new mid-sized SUV, the Actyon.
Originally launched in 2005 as a fastback SUV — one of the first such models, as it happens — the original Actyon was, let’s face it, not much cop. But KGM SsangYong clearly figures that the name, which also appeared on the old Actyon Sports ute, still has value.
Now, the Actyon — you can pronounce is as ‘Action’ or ‘Ack-Tee-on’ according to your taste — is a slick-looking mid-sized SUV that’s both visually and mechanically related to the recently released SsangYong Torres with which KGM SsangYong kicked off its rebranding.
It’s a genuinely handsome SUV, smoother and sleeker at the rear than the chunkier Torres, with similar styling at the front. Longer, wider but lower than the Torres, SsangYong says the Actyon measures 4740mm long (+40mm), making it longer than the 4.7m Toyota RAV4, as well as 1920mm wide (+30mm) and 1680mm tall (-40mm).
There’s a neat design touch in the light-up panel at the front, which features a three-bar motif that’s supposed to remind you of the South Korean flag — KGM SsangYong is keen not to be confused with Chinese brands — but that might be a touch too subtle for anyone other than a professional geographer.
Apart from its different rear roofline and LED lighting, the Actyon also features restyled bumpers and rides on larger 20-inch alloy wheel than the Torres.
How much does the KGM SsangYong Actyon cost?
We don’t have Australian market pricing for the Actyon as yet, but the likelihood is that it will be a little pricier than the Torres, which ranges from $38,000 in front-wheel drive form to $47,000 in all-wheel drive guise (before on-road costs), as the Actyon is supposed to be the first step on the brand’s slightly upmarket push.
It’ll probably start from around $45,000 or so, putting it in the same ballpark as a Volkswagen Tiguan or Honda CR-V.
While the Actyon doesn’t have the badge appeal nor mechanical sophistication to compete with those models, it should come very well-equipped, with a standard surround-view camera system, front and rear heated seats, dual-zone climate control, two 12.3-inch digital screens on the dashboard, and leather upholstery.
To see how the KGM SsangYong Actyon lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What is the KGM SsangYong Actyon like on the inside?
If anyone remembers the original Actyon, then they probably remember its staggeringly brittle plastic interior, which felt like large chunks could start coming off in your hand without warning. This Actyon is not like that.
Not like that at all, as it happens, as the new Actyon has, pretty much without question, the most impressive interior we’ve seen from a SsangYong-branded product since… well, ever.
The twin 12.3-inch screens stretch out across the dash in a similar fashion to those seen in Kia and Hyundai models, and they look good. The instrument screen uses graphics not unlike those of a BMW X3, and the display is crisp and easy to use.
KGM SsangYong has also made it blessedly easy to switch off the – often incorrect – automatic speed limit warning, which just requires a swipe downward from the top of the central infotainment screen and a press of one icon.
However, the rest of the touchscreen is less impressive, as it’s not the most responsive system around, and many of the menus and on-screen buttons are fiddly to use.
The Actyon really suffers from the almost total lack of physical switchgear. The only such controls in the cabin are the electric window switches and the buttons on the steering wheel.
In fairness, these are good to use, and simple, but even the addition of a shortcut button on the wheel, which is supposed to help you navigate more speedily around the screen, doesn’t really help.
Thankfully, there’s standard-fit Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus wireless phone charging, but the Actyon is yet another modern car that really needs some old-fashioned buttons.
At least the rest of the cabin is good. The front seats are covered in nice, smooth Nappa leather (the real stuff, too) and come with neat little quilted sections up top, under the head restraints.
The dashboard too gets some nice materials, including a soft suede-like fabric that comes with contrast red stitching. There’s even a pleasant slice of wood trim, although that’s ruined a bit by a gammy panel gap three-quarters of the way across the dash.
The hexagonal steering wheel is a little bit strange to look at, but it and the mock-crystal gear selector are both everyday touchpoints to which KGM SsangYong has paid clear and close attention.
There’s good storage both under the front seat armrest and in an open area beneath the centre console, two good cupholders and large door bins – although their lack of lining means items will rattle around.
Back-seat passengers enjoy lots of legroom and headroom, and more useful storage in the shape of decent seatback pockets and Kia-style integrated coat hangers in the backs of the front seat head restraints. The rear seats also recline by up to 32 degrees.
Behind them the boot is exceptionally roomy, at 668 litres up to the luggage cover. The boot shape is a little odd – shallow and long – but it’s certainly useful.
That said, the seats-down volume of 1568 litres is a touch disappointing, and there’s little under-floor storage. The Actyon has a standard powered tailgate with a kick sensor, but as ever with such things it’s a bit hit-and-miss.
To see how the KGM SsangYong Actyon lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What’s under the bonnet?
For the moment, the Actyon comes with only one engine – a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit making up to 120kW of power and 280Nm of torque.
There’s no hybrid version, no plug-in hybrid and no prospect of a fully electric version as KGM SsangYong expects to take its time adopting EV power, and anyway the existing Torres has an electric version in international markets. Here in Australia, the Torres shares the Actyon’s 1.5 engine, and much of the structure under the bodywork too.
To see how the KGM SsangYong Actyon lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How does the KGM SsangYong Actyon drive?
At first, the Actyon feels pretty positive to drive. The 1.5-litre engine is no powerhouse, but it’s lively enough and the on-paper 10.8-second 0-100km/h time feels a little pessimistic once you’re behind the wheel.
Low-speed refinement is excellent – KGM SsangYong was keen to point out the Actyon’s extra noise-suppressing material – and the engine only becomes loud when you ask for full-on acceleration, and even then it’s not too bad.
The steering feels nicely weighted, even if it’s not really up to telling you much about what’s happening under the wheels, and so it all feels good.
That does fade a bit once you start introducing the Actyon to some bumps. The springs are just too firm, and the damping isn’t up to filtering out the worst effects of a poor road surface either.
Given the traditional appeal of KGM SsangYong products to farmers and rural types, you’d have thought that the Actyon would have been given softer, longer-travel suspension, but sadly it’s been saddled with a setup that tries to be sporting but just ends up being too hard-riding.
Find a smoother patch of road, and the Actyon starts to feel good again, but then you come up against its biggest dynamic limitation – front-end traction.
Perhaps it was a tyre issue (although our test cars came with Michelin rubber) and perhaps it was down to the chilly temperatures in which our UK-based test drive took place, but the Actyon has some significant issues in putting down its power.
Even with only 280Nm of torque, the front tyres can be easily spun-up into unruly scrambling and the traction control is lazy about putting a stop to that. Fast corners too easily leave the Actyon fighting for front-end grip if you over-cook things even slightly. Drive gently and it’s less of a problem, but keen drivers will find this frustrating.
It would certainly make you wonder how well the Actyon would cope away from tarmac. Traditionally, KGM SsangYong models have been pretty rugged in this respect, but this traction issue doesn’t bode well.
Even so, the Actyon comes with hill descent control, decent ground clearance and a 300mm wading depth as standard.
To see how the KGM SsangYong Actyon lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What do you get?
Australian prices and specs aren’t set yet.
2025 KGM SsangYong Actyon equipment highlights:
- Leather upholstery
- Heated front and rear seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Two 12.3-inch digital displays
- Automatic transmission
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- Built-in navigation
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Dual-zone climate control
To see how the KGM SsangYong Actyon lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
Is the KGM SsangYong Actyon safe?
The Actyon is as yet untested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, so we can’t tell you how its safety levels have been independently judged.
However, one benefit of being part of the vast KGM Group is that it includes a steelmaking company, and so the Actyon benefits from a large amount of high-strength steel in its structure. KGM SsangYong claims that this, along with a comprehensive airbag and electronic safety count, should mean that the Actyon is a safe car.
Standard safety equipment includes:
- Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking
- Lane keeping steering
- Adaptive cruise control with speed limiter
- Speed limit alert
- Eight airbags
- Blind-spot detection
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Smart high-beam
- Hill descent control
To see how the KGM SsangYong Actyon lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How much does the KGM SsangYong Actyon cost to run?
This is an area where the Actyon could be tripped up by its lack of hybrid assistance.
The 1.5-litre engine is pretty thirsty – averaging 8.5 litres per 100km officially, and we saw more like 10L/100km on an admittedly short test route. That kind of thirst could lead to big fuel bills, which you could potentially side-step with a hybrid-engined rival.
The Actyon will get the usual KGM SsangYong Australia warranty – seven years and unlimited mileage.
To see how the KGM SsangYong Actyon lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
CarExpert’s Take on the KGM SsangYong Actyon
There are some notable flaws for the Actyon to work around – the traction issue, the engine’s thirst, the overly firm ride quality and the fiddly infotainment system – but as a first step towards a slightly more upmarket image for the brand, the Actyon is broadly successful.
It’s good looking, has a handsome and roomy cabin, and a massive boot. With the right pricing, this could be a considerable success for KGM SsangYong, and another worthwhile addition to Australia’s already-booming mid-sized SUV market.
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