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New KGM Torres 2024 review: big SUV says so long SsangYong
The Torres is the vehicle chosen to usher in the new KGM brand on the UK market and despite some clear flaws, the petrol model shows encouraging signs...
Verdict
The Torres is a solid start for this reborn brand, with excellent amounts of cabin space and generous equipment lists. Performance is only respectable, though, efficiency looks a little behind the curve, and several of the car’s rivals offer a better user experience on the all-important in-car tech. Keen finance deals may well be required if the Torres is to win converts from more polished Korean and European rivals - but there is promise here, certainly, that perhaps the EVX or the forthcoming hybrid can really fulfil.
It can’t be easy to overhaul an entire car company, but that’s precisely what KGM is attempting to do with the brand formerly known as SsangYong. The process started last spring with the change of name, but it’s really kicking in now with the arrival of the first all-new model launched under the fresh ownership: the Torres.
You could hardly describe KGM’s first debut as an easy vehicle to slide under the radar, either, for the Torres is neither a small car nor a subtle one. The company says it wants to “build on the heritage of SsangYong” and sure enough, its first new offering is a 4.7-metre-long SUV; that’s longer than both the Nissan X-Trail and the outgoing Skoda Kodiaq, seven seaters both. If you’re looking closer to home, this model is designed to slot in between the Korando and the Rexton, both still on sale as part of KGM’s rebranded portfolio.
In design terms, the Torres is a bit of a mishmash of influences, with Jeep-like vertical grille slats at the front and a distinct whiff of Range Rover in the way that the rear lights wrap around the corner of the tailgate. There’s a lot of faux butchness about it, in truth, with bonnet-mounted grab handles and roof rails, but it’s probably imposing and distinctive enough overall for what is a desperately crowded market.
KGM claims the Torres is based on a new platform, although work on the car started before the company took over Ssangyong, so we wouldn’t be surprised if it were in some way related to the old Korando architecture. Either way, it can accommodate a variety of powertrains, and it’s being launched with a choice of combustion or pure-electric power. There’s a single regular engine on offer - a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged unit producing 161bhp and 280Nm of torque. It’s paired up with a six-speed automatic gearbox and either front- or four-wheel drive.
The all-electric version is badged Torres EVX and it’s due in UK dealers by early summer, equipped with a BYD-sourced ‘Blade battery’ measuring 73kWh and delivering up to 287 miles of range. A petrol-electric hybrid, again featuring tech sourced from BYD, will arrive in the next 12 months, and it’s hard to see how it won’t end up replacing the regular 1.5-litre petrol completely.
In the meantime, KGM UK has gone for a simplified line-up, with just two trim levels on offer, both of them pretty well equipped. The Torres K30 comes with 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, full-LED headlights, heated front seats and steering wheel, keyless entry, front and rear parking sensors, a 12.3-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, dual-zone air-con and cruise control. It costs from £34,995, which puts it north of smaller five-seaters like the Nissan Qashqai, but in the mix with seven-seaters like the X-Trail and new Kodiaq. We’re still waiting to see how KGM’s finance deals will stack up on monthly payments.
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