KGM Motors Korando E-Motion Review & Prices

The Korando E-Motion is rather like one of those off-brand air fryers you find in the middle aisle in Lidl. It’s actually pretty good at what it’s supposed to do, and it’s so cheap that if it fizzles out and refuses to work some day in the future, you probably won’t be all that bothered. 

The Korando crossover has been around for a while now, available with petrol and diesel power, but this electric E-Motion version is announcing the reinvention of the old Ssangyong brand under its new name, KG Mobility, or just plain old KGM Motors. With electric cars very much en vogue, the Korando E-Motion is here to try and steal customers from the likes of smaller electric cars such as the MG ZS EV, and similarly-sized, but more expensive, cars such as the new Peugeot e-3008.

The Korando E-Motion isn’t half so sophisticated as a Peugeot e-3008, but then it’s considerably more affordable than the electric French car, or the likes of the Volkswagen ID4, Skoda Enyaq, or Hyundai Kona Electric. It achieves that price thanks to the use of a much smaller battery —  there’s a mere 55.4kWh of useable energy capacity in there, which gives a claimed range of 211 miles, and a realistic range of about 170-180 miles, depending on your driving style. 

That’s not much, but it’s arguably enough for the sort of short-commute, school-run, shopping-trip sort of driving that will likely be the Korando E-Motion’s daily life. Just don’t try undertaking any lengthy journeys in one, although having said that, with a maximum DC fast charging speed of 100kW, it will top itself up more quickly than some Chinese rivals, or even the pricey Honda e:Ny1. A 20-80 per cent charge takes about 30 minutes, depending on the charger and the battery condition.

Performance is reasonably brisk, with 188bhp from the front-wheel drive electric motor. The Korando E-Motion will hit 62mph from rest in 9.0secs, but to be honest most of the time will probably be spent in the Eco driving mode, which reduces the motor’s power to stretch the range a little. Even so, it does the usual electric car trick of being brisk from walking pace up to urban cruising pace, which is all most people will ask of it. 

The Korando E-Motion won’t be a car to wow drivers with pin-sharp cornering, but it’s competent and sure-footed enough for an urban commuter box, but it becomes rather lurch-y and less pleasant on a twisty country road. 

One big plus in the Korando E-Motion’s favour is its cabin. Not in terms of quality nor design — acceptably cheap just about covers it — but in terms of space. The back seats are roomy, and the boot, at 551-litres, is far and away bigger than anything else with a comparable price tag. 

Once we do an extended test with one, we'll hold off on a full review of the KGM Motors Korando E-Motion for now. If you're already sold on this electric family SUV, though, be sure to check out our latest KGM Motors deals - and see how you can sell your current car through carwow, too.

The KGM Korando E-Motion is in relative terms affordable, there’s no question. It’s far from the cheapest electric crossover around, but KGM is playing the same old Ssangyong game here, of offering more metal and more equipment for your money. Right now, there’s only one version of the Korando E-Motion on sale, and that’s the Ultimate, which comes as standard with automatic LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, a 12.3-inch digital instrument screen, a 9.0-inch high-definition infotainment touchscreen with built-in TomTom navigation along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections. There’s also powered seats with leather upholstery, and 17-inch alloy wheels. 

This Ultimate version is relatively pricey, which does a pretty good job of undermining the while point of the car, but there will in due course be other, much more affordable models, which make a better fist of the whole price-size-spec Venn diagram. A standard seven-year, 90,000 mile warranty is also included - slightly different to the five years/100,000 miles of cover that KGM’s petrol and diesel cars get.