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By Jonathan Crouch

KGM's Actyon adds extra style to this Korean brand's mid-sized SUV formula and offers full-Hybrid power. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 61

KGM continues to modernise its SsangYong-derived product range with new models. Here's another, the Actyon, a sleek Coupe-SUV version of the mid-sized Torres crossover. It's a car with its own distinct look and feel and its BYD-sourced Dual Tech Hybrid drive set-up aims to offer diesel-style running costs. Plus there's all the space and equipment you could want for the money.

Backgroundword count: 214

If you're searching for a family-sized SUV, it could be that what you ideally want is a car that's EV-like but not actually an EV. If so, then Korean maker KGM (formally SsangYong) hopes that its new breed of Hybrid models for this segment might interest you. There are two - the practical Torres Hybrid and the car we look at here, the slightly more style-orientated Actyon Hybrid. The Actyon may be a car that slipped under your radar. Launched in early 2025 with an old-tech 1.5-litre petrol engine, it didn't really stand out in its segment. But in this Hybrid form, it is a much better chance of doing just that. At first glance, the Actyon is merely a sleeker Coupe-SUV version of the Torres, but the brand is promoting it as a separate flagship model, despite the fact that (unlike the Torres) it can't be had as a full-EV. The Actyon name is supposed to be a combination of 'active young' and 'act on'. It was first used by former brand SsangYong for a model that lasted two generations from 2005 to 2018 and was, KGM rather controversially reckons, the world's first Coupe-SUV. The sales numbers targeted for this modern Actyon will be small; should you consider it? Let's take a look.

Driving Experienceword count: 418

Unlike its Torres showroom stablemate, the Actyon can't be had as an EV - though presumably in future it could be because underneath the bodywork, the two models are exactly the same. The single Actyon variant offered here is front-driven full-Hybrid and uses the same 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol/electric unit as the Torres, offering 177PS. That powerplant is in almost every way a huge improvement over the un-electrified 161PS 1.5-litre SsangYong-derived unit originally offered in early Actyons imported here, but there is the disadvantage that the Hybrid can't be configured with all-wheel drive. The front-driven petrol/electric engineering here is quite complex, though unusually for a Hybrid powertrain sourced (as this one is) from BYD, you can't plug it in. It works with two electric motors and a six-speed e-DHT automatic gearbox which marshals 300Nm torque figure (30Nm up on that old conventionally-engined Actyon). Despite that, compared to that old un-electrified variant, braked towing capacity has fallen 200kg to 1.3-tonnes. Still, there's otherwise lots to like about this Hybrid unit. The powertrain has no fewer than nine built-in different driving modes able to alter it for differing scenarios, none of them driver-selectable. Unless you're in the engine-only setting that preserves charge in the battery, most of your driving in town will be done without the aid of combustion power. In fact, KGM claims that the Actyon Hybrid can do 95% of its city driving on battery power alone and all-electric driving in EV mode is possible at speeds of up to 62mph. 0-62mph takes 10.8s en route to 109mph. And there's a paddleshift-activated three-setting regenerative braking set-up to recharge the batteries as you drive. Which most of the time will be in the HEV mode that combines both electric and petrol driving. The suspension has been tweaked over the Torres, though you're still likely to feel speed humps and potholes rather too keenly. More effective has been the work done on refinement, which is near best in class. That's courtesy of sound absorbing materials and foam pads built into the chassis, plus laminated glass door sills and special noise cancelling Michelin tyres. As with other KGM models, there's not much reward for throwing this car through the bends - nor is there much steering feedback, but most customers aren't likely to be much bothered by that. As with so many new cars these days, the lane keeping assist and speed limit warning systems are over-intrusive and you'll quickly want to use the screen short-cut menu to turn them off.

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