KGM Actyon review

Driving position 

Getting comfortable in the Actyon is easy with it being an SUV from a well-established brand that knows what it's doing. 

There’s plenty of headroom so no matter your seating position, you’ll have a good amount of space above you. 

The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable and can be moved up, down, forward and back along with added lumbar support. The seat doesn’t go as low as we’d like but for that high SUV driving position to see everything around you, it’s spot on.  

The steering wheel moves up and down, forward and back via a manual adjustment so adjusting that to your preferred position is easy. 

Tech and features 

KGM only offers the Actyon in one trim for UK buyers called the K50 which has the full works thrown at it in terms of onboard kit. 

The first thing you’ll notice is the almost square steering wheel that’s packed with an array of buttons to control a variety of things from answering hands-free calls to disabling the lane-keep assist. 

We appreciate that it has clicky buttons but the dials for the volume and to change song/alter menus do feel quite cheap and aren’t the most tactile, which is a shame considering you’ll be using these the most. 

Atop the dash is a set of two 12.3-inch screens – one that replaces any analogue dials and another that houses all the car’s infotainment software. 

The system itself is easy enough to use though it isn’t the most high-definition screen when compared to some of its rivals, but considering its price, it’s not half bad. 

But more often than not, you’ll simply plug your phone in and use Apple CarPlay/Android Auto instead which works well, especially on that wider screen. 

There are two features we really like. The first is that you can turn off any of the annoying mandated features modern cars have such as tiredness detection and speed detection with a simple swipe down on the screen.  

You may want to turn these off as the warning noises are particularly persistent in this car. 

The other is a nifty ‘favourites’ button on the steering wheel that can be paired to any number of shortcuts, but we’d almost always advise linking it to the heater controls which can only be accessed via the central screen otherwise. 

A quick push of this and you can access them right away instead of endless menu diving on the central screen while driving. 

Other standard features include a 360-degree parking camera, stop-start, a heated steering wheel and two USB-C charge ports. 

Engines and power 

Powering the Actyon is a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine that produces 158hp and 282Nm of torque. 

At low speeds and getting off the mark, it’s quiet and zippy but put your foot down and ask too much of it and it groans a bit like an old man getting up out of an armchair. 

The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox that isn’t as smooth as one you may find in a Kia Sportage or MINI Countryman for example, and while it does have physical paddle shifters, they feel a bit redundant in a large family SUV. 

We found it to be particularly grabby under quick acceleration at junctions or entering roundabouts with second gear taking a little too long to engage, resulting in unwanted wheel spin.  

Handling and ride comfort 

The Actyon sits on the same platform as its Torres sibling, which means you get a tried-and-tested setup but albeit a little wider on the road. 

So, if you’re coming from a hatchback, you may want to take one for a test drive first to get used to its added size. 

Once you’re over that, it’s very pleasant to bumble around the countryside in, and when you get to a faster A road, it handles it with ease. 

One point we weren’t as keen on is the brakes which feel a little spongey at times and aren’t as firm as in a lot of other cars, which isn’t as confidence-inspiring when stopping a 1,580kg SUV. 

As for ride comfort, the suspension is right up Goldilocks’ street – it’s not too firm, not too soft, it’s just right. This means it handles rougher roads with ease, even at speed. 

But the Actyon's real party trick is its ability to tone out road and wind noise, giving it an excellent noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) score in our books.  

This is partly due to the quieter tyres fitted to our test car but is also an important part of why KGM is so proud of this model. Think Range Rover levels of quietness but for a fraction of the price. 

Boot space 

The Actyon is best-in-class when it comes to boot space at 668 litres which is a lot more than the Kia Sportage’s 562 litres. 

The opening itself is wide, meaning it’s easy to load bigger items, plus there’s a bit more added space under the boot floor for smaller items. 

Its special trick is a kick-to-open tailgate which is handy if your hands are full of shopping bags. Simply wave your foot underneath the rear of the car and it should open... not always on the first try in our experience in other cars. 

Rear seats 

Rear-seat passengers won’t be disappointed, with plenty of knee and headroom for most people, and even enough wiggle room to slide your feet under the front seats. 

It also offers ‘rear-seat sleep mode’ which is where the seats tilt backwards for added comfort on longer journeys. That, along with a couple of USB-C chargers, means they’re sorted. 

There’s also a retractable blind under each window for added privacy for younger (or older) passengers having a nap. 

Storage solutions 

The Actyon is a key player when it comes to storage options around the cabin.  

In the front, there’s a long, floating central storage unit that has a couple of cupholders on the top and a large space below to store phones, wallets etc. 

The central armrest is deep too to store sweets, glasses, bottles etc. 

Door bins are well-sized in the front and back – deep enough for a water bottle in each. 

Safety 

Being so new, the KGM Actyon hasn’t been officially tested by Euro NCAP yet, but it does come with an impressive range of safety kit as standard. 

If it’s any consolation, the KGM Tivoli scored five stars in its last test in 2019. 

Some of these include lane-keep assist, driver attention alert, rear cross-traffic warning, adaptive cruise control and front vehicle start alert. 

Fuel economy 

An area where the Actyon lags behind some of its hybrid rivals is fuel economy.  

Its official claimed figure is 33.1mpg, and in our testing, we got less than 30mpg with an indicated 300 miles of range from a full tank of petrol. 

When you consider its main rival, the Sportage, can return up to 45mpg, it isn’t really acceptable. 

Reliability 

KGM has been in the game for a long time unlike many of the new Chinese car brands arriving in the UK, so we have reason to trust them when it comes to its car’s reliability. 

Every Actyon comes with a five-year/100,000-mile warranty as well as a six-year anti-corrosion warranty and a three-year paint work one too.