SPECIAL K? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 61

A new brand, KGM Motors, launched in out market in early 2024. It mainly sold old re-badged SsangYongs, but there was an all-new product, this car, the Torres mid-sized SUV. A tough, versatile, five-seat upper-mid-sized SUV, it came in both combustion and EV forms and offered something quite appealingly different. Here, we look at the early 2024-2025-era versions of this model.

Modelsword count: 8

5dr mid-sized SUV (1.5 petrol / EV [K30,K40])

Historyword count: 186

Back in early 2024, KGM Motors was the fresh name for the Korean marque that had previously been called SsangYong. So it wasn't quite a new brand, but it did need a new product line-up, which started with this car, the KGM Torres. As part of its 2024 UK launch, KGM did also sell other models here, but they were all simply re-badged versions of previous SsangYongs. The Torres, in contrast, was all-new, the first in a fresh raft of designs using a lot of borrowed technology from Chinese maker BYD. This new product offensive was a condition of SsangYong's buy-out by huge South Korean chemical and steel company the KG group in 2022. The Torres represented the first fruits of the subsequent re-launched brand's rejuvenated 'new era of innovation' approach and was apparently named after the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. The initial Torres product choice was between an old-tech un-electrified petrol engine and an all-electric EVX model and it's that 2024-32025 product line-up we look at here. In early 2026, the petrol unit was replaced with a full-Hybrid (of the non-plug-in sort).

What You Getword count: 241

This SUV's a little bigger than it looks in the pictures, the 4.7-metre length about the same as a Nissan X-Trail or Skoda Kodiaq. There's a chunky profile too, with 1,720mm of height and 1,890mm of width. Lots of black plastic cladding and a contrasting C-pillar add finishing touches. Big 20-inch wheels are fitted to most models. The slotted grille gives a Jeep-style vibe, but here it's accompanied by all kinds of sharp creases and edges. It's modern and minimalist inside, though the copper-coloured dash and console trimming won't be to everyone's taste. You view the 'twin panoramic' instrument display through a four-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel. The wide, slim dashboard houses a pair of 12.3-inch screens, the instrument display offered with various selectable formats that include full-screen mapping. You might reasonably expect an SUV the length of an X-Trail or Kodiaq to offer a third seating row. The Torres doesn't, which seems like a bit of a missed opportunity. In the rear, once inside, back seat space is generous for a couple of adults and those in the two outer seats will enjoy plenty of head and leg space. Plus there's a flat floor so that a third centrally-seated adult could reasonably easily accommodated if need be. Out back, the power-operated tailgate rises to reveal an extremely large boot, rated at 703-litres with the rear seats in place, regardless of whether you choose the combustion model or the alternative EV version.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227