Overview
WHEN SsangYong rebranded as KG Mobility in 2024, it seemingly forgot (deliberately, it says) to adorn its Australian fashions thusly.
KGM-SsangYong seems merely as ‘SsangYong’ on the Torres mid-size SUV examined right here, retaining a well-recognized emblem – and the quirky styling – we’ve come to affiliate with the Korean marque.
From its Jeep-cross-Hummer frontal therapy with fake bonnet rigging factors, daring rear-side blade, and offset (and once more faux) Continental wheel cowl, the KGM-SsangYong Torres is an unusually styled automobile that can also be fairly effectively completed – each outdoors and in.
Examined right here in flagship Final guise (from $47,000 d/a), the five-seat KGM-SsangYong Torres affords an expectedly excessive degree of normal tools together with LED lighting, dual-zone local weather management, heated and ventilated entrance seats with energy adjustment, twin 12.3-inch screens, rear privateness glass, a powered tailgate, and trendy 20-inch alloy wheels.
These wheels are pushed by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine paired with a six-speed automated transmission and all-wheel drive.
Outputs are listed at 120kW (5000-5500rpm) and 280Nm (1500-4000rpm) – fairly a method behind many of the competitors however surprisingly ample on this 1532kg package deal.
KGM-SsangYong lists a mixed cycle gas consumption determine of seven.9 litres per 100km – or 1.2 litres lower than achieved on take a look at (9.1L/100km).
Keep in mind, the automobile requires 95RON or greater premium unleaded, which can add to working prices over time, and that the gas tank holds simply 50 litres. Based mostly on our figures, which means a driving vary of simply over 550km.
The Torres measures 4700mm in size, 1890mm in width, 1720mm in peak, and 2680mm between the axles. Cargo house is listed at 703-1526 litres (between five- and two-seat modes) and accessed through a top-hinged powered tailgate. The rear seats could also be cut up 60:40 for added comfort.
Braked towing capability is listed at simply 1500kg.
KGM-SsangYong at present affords a three-year free servicing interval throughout the Torres SUV vary, the vary normally supported by a seven-year capped-price association as a part of a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre guarantee bundle.
Service intervals are pegged at 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first) with costs starting from $338 to $442. Over a three-year interval, this quantities to $1118, $1898 over 5 years, or $2678 over seven years – a bit expensive compared with many mainstream rivals.
Roadside help is obtainable for 5 years.
On the security entrance, we discover it disconcerting that the automobile is just not supplied with a security ranking.
KGM-SsangYong does nevertheless package deal the Torres Final with eight airbags, adaptive cruise management, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot warning, driver consideration alert, lane centring, lane change warning, and lane holding help, excessive beam help, rear cross visitors alert, secure distance alert, and tyre strain monitoring.
Importantly, the Torres additionally affords twin ISOFIX and three top-tether baby seat anchorages.
The three-grade Torres vary (from $37,200 to $46,200) is obtainable in 5 paint colors. Premium paint provides $595 to the listing value.
Driving Impressions
Whereas we’ve our reservations in regards to the styling of the KGM-SsangYong Torres, we should say that the match and end is generally fairly spectacular. We are saying principally as a result of the steering wheel feels fairly previous hat, and a few inside supplies are a bit exhausting and scratchy.
The cabin is in any other case fairly spacious and affords beneficiant leg- and headroom all through. It’s maybe not as broad as some within the phase, however this can be a Medium SUV phase participant after-all.
Disappointingly, the seating is a bit flat and agency, significantly within the cushion (base) which – regardless of the adjustment accessible – could make longer journeys fairly tiring. The thrum of the Final grade’s 20-inch rubber was additionally fairly tedious, grating in opposition to in any other case subdued mechanical and wind noise.
We discovered the infotainment and instrumentation arrays easy and straightforward to navigate however have been upset to seek out no wi-fi smartphone mirroring (i.e., no wi-fi Apple CarPlay or Android Auto) or charging at this value level. The display was at instances laggy, and at others shutdown totally – together with the instrument panel.
Sadly, we obtained warnings and chimes that each one the security and driver help techniques had turn out to be inactive on a number of events when travelling at freeway speeds: leaving solely the automobile’s primary capabilities operational. It isn’t an excellent signal of high quality in any respect – and probably harmful for the inexperienced.
Mechanically, the KGM-SsangYong can really feel a bit overwhelmed in accelerating from standstill however improves as soon as on the go. The transmission is easy and impeccably decisive, the ratio unfold effectively spaced to go with the 1.5-litre engine’s broad torque curve.
Nonetheless, we didn’t benefit from the toggle-style gear shift selector when manoeuvring at automobile park speeds – the swap requiring two inputs at every route change earlier than participating Drive or Reverse. The idle-stop system can also be very tardy, and finest switched off in our opinion.
Ahead and lateral outward visibility is ok, although the rear is considerably obscured by the rear facet window covers when reversing from a 45-degree park. Luckily, the digicam system is nice and the steering gentle and (fairly) tight at low speeds, making the Torres very straightforward to park. KGM-SsangYong lists the turning circle of the Torres at 10.8m.
Travelling a bit faster, we discovered the Torres strut entrance / multi-link rear suspension each agency and flat. The trade-off right here is that the trip is a bit brusque, however the dealing with very eager. It’s a compromise that presents the Torres with the sort of agility Aussie drivers count on, however with a trip that will shake your fillings unfastened over poorly maintained roads.
The Torres’ all-wheel disc brakes present constructive braking through a well-modulated and progressive pedal. Help right here is excellent for household patrons, providing the sort of assured braking required on moist, dry, sealed or unsealed surfaces.
On stability, and regardless of our love of sure SsangYong fashions previous (which in our view are sometimes unfairly neglected), the Torres fell effectively in need of expectations.
Whereas we actually discovered the worth for cash affordable, the seven-year guarantee beneficiant, and the engine energy ample, the automobile’s repeated and a number of digital system failures, lack of any security ranking, questionable trip, and mismatched styling gave us real trigger for doubt.
In a market phase bristling with strong competitors, we expect you’d should be really enamoured with the KGM-SsangYong providing to desire it above the remainder. In answering the query posed initially of this assessment, we merely don’t really feel the Torres has sufficient of what it takes to stack up in opposition to its mainstream rivals.
