Living with the KGM Actyon: comfortable and good to drive, but it has a drinking problem

This is our KGM Actyon, a family-friendly SUV which we’ve been driving for the past two months to find out if it’s worth considering over a Volkswagen Tiguan.

We’ve covered loads of miles in this car, and while it’s been pretty good to drive we have noticed one pretty significant issue – fuel economy.

The claimed economy isn’t the most impressive to start with at 33mpg, which is 12mpg shy of a petrol Volkswagen Tiguan and only 5mpg more than our 530hp BMW M4. In reality though we’ve been getting an average of 29mpg, and it’s even dropped as low as 21mpg in some conditions.

That’s really not good in a sensible family SUV. One member of the Carwow team has a previous-generation petrol Tiguan, and that car averages around 40mpg. The KGM’s petrol tank isn’t massive either, so fuel stops are pretty frequent.

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It’s a shame really, because beyond its unquenchable thirst the Actyon is actually a nice car to cover long distances in. There’s very little wind noise and it’s pretty refined at speed, although the firm suspension can jiggle over bumps around town.

It’s also pretty nippy. There’s only 163hp on tap from the 1.5-litre engine, but there’s plenty of punch for overtaking or joining the motorway. At least it’s turning all that fuel into something. Out on a twisty road that firm suspension means it doesn’t lean too much and you can actually drive this thing quite quickly.

The adaptive cruise control isn’t great though. It just can’t seem to keep up with the car in front, so it accelerates up to it before jabbing at the brakes. It can be quite unsettling, so we don’t really bother using it.

So the KGM Actyon is a tale of two halves. On the one hand it’s pretty comfortable, quick and easy to drive, and if you scroll down to our interior report below you’ll see that it has a nicely-made and spacious cabin. But that poor fuel economy could be enough to put you off.

We’ve still got a few months left with the Actyon, so check back soon for five things we love about this car.

Living with a KGM Actyon report 2: interior and practicality

This is our KGM Actyon – a left-field alternative to the Volkswagen Tiguan which we’ve been living with for a few months. You can check out the full spec of our car in the first report, but here we’re going to be taking a closer look at the interior.

We’ve been very impressed with it on the whole, but there are one or two things which are annoying. Here’s a rundown of five things you need to know.

1. It’s really well-made

KGM, formerly known as Ssangyong, hasn’t always had a reputation for building posh interiors. Well the Actyon seems to have changed that, because this cabin is a lovely place to spend time.

There’s loads of plush-feeling suede materials and lovely leather, and we like the dashboard design as well. There are also no annoying squeaks or rattles, unlike our Honda H-RV which has developed a noise from behind the dashboard.

2. Comfort and refinement is great

The Actyon’s sound deadening is really good. The cabin at 70mph is whisper quiet, and the seats are also really comfortable. It’s a great car for covering lots of miles in, and we also really like the ventilated seat function as the weather has started to warm up.

3. Loads of interior space

We use our Actyon for hauling equipment to video shoots, and the huge boot has made this really easy. At 668 litres it’s bigger than a Volkswagen Tiguan’s, and the square shape makes it easy to load. There’s also plenty of rear legroom for ferrying your mates to the pub after a long day of filming.

4. The infotainment system isn’t the best

The twin 12.3-inch screens look really impressive when you get in the car, and the graphics are decent as well. In operation though, the central touchscreen can be really laggy and slow to load. This is especially annoying when all of the climate controls are buried in it.

5. Reinventing the wheel

Why do car manufacturers keep changing the shape of the steering wheel? Having flat bottoms has been a thing for years now on sporty models, but the Actyon’s is a weird hexagonal shape. It’s split opinions in the Carwow office, with some people saying it looks cool and others not being so convinced.

*Prices correct at the time of writing

Living with a KGM Actyon: intro

This is our new KGM Actyon, a funky-looking SUV which provides a slightly left-field alternative to cars like the Volkswagen Tiguan and Kia Sportage. Never heard of KGM? It used to be known as Ssangyong before a full rebrand back in 2023.

It’s been selling cheap and cheerful SUVs in the UK for decades, as well as pickup trucks. The new Actyon is KGM’s latest offering, and on paper at least it looks quite appealing.

The Actyon is certainly striking to look at. It may be slightly ungainly from some angles – we’re not sure about that massive rear overhang – but the slim LED lights and muscular stance make it stand out against some of the more dour SUV offerings out there.

Our car is the K50 model, and so is every other Actyon out there because it’s the only trim level available for now. It comes fully loaded with kit. You get electrically-adjustable heated and ventilated leather seats up front, heated seats in the rear, dual-zone climate control and adaptive cruise control.

Outside there is only one alloy wheel option – with 20-inch diamond-cut rims coming as standard. Our Actyon is finished in “Iron Silver”, which is a £750 option. White is the only no-cost colour option.

Under the bonnet things are less impressive at first glance. The only engine on offer is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol with 163hp, driving the front wheels only via a six-speed automatic gearbox. It’s a pretty old-school setup, and the claimed fuel economy is just 33.1mpg. By comparison a Kia Sportage hybrid can do 50mpg. Perhaps the Actyon will surprise us over the coming months though.

That silver paintwork is the only option fitted to this car, bringing the total price to £39,399. Equip a Kia Sportage to a similar level and you’ll pay about the same, while a Volkswagen Tiguan will cost a few hundred pounds more.

So our KGM Actyon has a lot to live up to. We’ll be documenting what it’s like to live with here, so bookmark this page to stay up-to-date.

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