KGM Motors unveils the new Torres SUV
A change of name has led to a revolution for a Korean car manufacturer – the SsangYong branding has been dropped in favour of the more generic KGM Motors nomenclature, with the first of the new styling just launched in the shape of the KGM Torres.
That change has heralded a new design era for the formerly-known as Ssang Yong stable of SUV vehicles and that’s very evident on the model that a lot of hopes are being pinned on for a serious assault on the European market.
The KGM Torres, a medium/large-sized SUV styled vehicle which looks smart, thinks smart and makes the most of a punchy 1.5-litre petrol engine (an all-electric vehicle is also new from April). In a sector of the market where the ‘big players’ can command £50k-plus, the Torres starts at a more affordable £35k.
KGM is punting it with an ‘unexpected adventure’ sales pitch, which is more than just a take on Lord of the Rings and Hobbit-land. It really could be an unexpected experience for rural users who like the ‘ Range Rover effect’, but really can’t afford one and on that basis alone it is well worth a look.
But can it live up to those affectations? Certainly, on the back of a short test drive, the Torres – we tested it in K40 top-of-the-range form – proved surprisingly agile and not without some ability and the design cues are a million miles in front of the former Ssang Yong favourites, the Korando and Rextons.
Slightly smaller than the Rexton at 4.7m long and weighing in at about 1.5 tonnes at the kerb, its perky little 1.5-litre four-cylinder power plant is turbocharged to give it 161hp, which is good enough for tootling about in and the 0-62mph time of 10.8 seconds might be slower than some of the rivals, but you’d be hard pushed to decry it for that, given that one of the competition in this bracket, the Skoda Kodiak, now starts at 148hp in its mild hybrid form from the same sized engine.
The six-speed automatic gearbox works hard to make the most of those 161 horses, but sometimes was caught in two minds of whether to shift up and down.
Of course, when you try to compete in the mid-sized SUV market you have to offer some incentives and KGM does this by being generous with the standard spec’ list goodies. It’s also quite attractive to look at and it will be interesting to see how it handles as a fourwheel-drive, the variant for which is expected out this summer. The trade expects this to add about £2k to the bottom line.
Rural users also like to have something that can tow two tonnes plus, and that’s maybe a sticking point for the Torres as it’s rated at only 1.5 tonnes.
We liked the smart, modern interior with two 12.3-inch tablet screens, one for all the controls and one for the infotainment set up. These were quite easy and intuitive to master and that’s something other manufacturers could learn a lesson from! Plus, there’s wireless phone charging.
The digital instrument cluster sits clearly in the driver’s front vision, while the digital infotainment display sits to the centre of the console.
That latter screen has Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto, which can use your phone as a sat-nav or music centre.
The K40 version tested, also had TomTom navigation. The Torres is well up to speed with the new EU GSR2 safety regulations, the inclusion of some of which deliver an annoying ping when going through different speed zones and when you get too close to the car in front – at least deemed by the radar setup. T
These can, of course, be tailored to your liking (ie, switched aff!), but in the Torres it is not easy finding the methodology to do this. But one extra that comes in handy in the kind of winter weather we have come to expect is a heated steering wheel, matched of course to the luxury of heated front leather seats.
For the hot weather – if it ever comes – there’s also the option of cool air circulating around the bum area! The driver of the K40 version gets an eight-way power adjustable seat, while the front passenger gets six-way control.
There’s also automatic headlamp dipping, plus front
and rear parking sensors. Space is one thing you notice in the cabin and the Torres will take five people comfortably.
It also has a fairly huge 703-litre luggage space with all the seats in place, but lowering the rear seats bumps this up to a useful 1662 litres
The Torres K40 is rated at returning 33.2 mpg on the combined cycle, though comfortable steady cruising on the motorway could give you slightly more than that. What else is in the detail that might tempt you to take a look at the Torres? Well, the standard
manufacturer’s warranty of five years (or 100,000 miles) and the corrosion perforation guarantee of six years will appeal to some. It also comes with a full suite of safety features, including driver assistance that includes automatic emergency braking
when a collision is detected.
Prices start at £34,995 for the K30 model, rise by £3000 for the K40 and up to £39,995 for the all-wheel-drive version when it arrives in the UK. It is also expected that a new pick-up from KGM will be introduced at some point.