KGM Torres EVX Electric 80.6kWh Review: The Return of Korea's Forgotten “Fifth Beatle”

KGM is somewhat like the “5th Beatle” of the Korean automotive industry. The carmaker, formally known as Ssangyong is back with an electric SUV

Singapore – KG Mobility may sound like an industry newcomer, but as an automaker, they have been around in one form or another for a little over seventy years now. You’d probably be more familiar with Ssangyong, which was what they were known as previously, before KG Group acquired the former’s automotive division.

There is no denying that there is an uphill battle for this carmaker to get some cred, even in its home country, where Hyundai and sister company KIA dominate the market. KGM (or back then, Ssangyong) on the other hand, is a bit like George Best.

Best of who?

That is the challenge KGM faces. While the Fab Four went on to legendary fame, Best was best known (no pun intended) to be the fifth Beatle.

So in a way, this is a new start, with a new car. The KGM Torres compact electric SUV is the first offering from what is somewhat a new brand, with a fresh injection of moolah (we hear that there will be a hybrid version of the car which will be arriving in a few short months).

Named after the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, the South Korean SUV’s front end bears uncanny resemblance to the smart #5 EV. And as a reminder of how ‘South Korean’ the Torres really is, the carmaker had left trigrams from their national flag around the vehicle as easter eggs.

On the side, a raised roofline, with the highest point located at the thick ‘C’ pillar, seems to channel the Land Rover Discovery. Throughout the car’s exterior, the faux scruff plates, wheel guards and even the decorative grab/lashing bars on the flanks of the bonnet, all point to the Torres’ off-roading aspirations… when it grows up.

At the rear, there is even a bump on the bootlid, providing you with a hint of a phantom spare wheel.

Plenty of “premium brand” inspiration on the inside

As for the interior, the Torres fits five without complaint. The raised roofline actually translates to added headroom for rear passengers.

The dashboard seems to have a mishmash of inspiration taken from other brands. The steering from the Audi A8, the gearshift tab – a mix of Audi e-tron GT and entry-level PSA group. The central air-conditioning vents and floating console from the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, the left side of the dashboard seemingly from the previous-generation Audi Q3, and the digital displays from the previous Mercedes-Benz CLA. Somehow KGM has made this work visually.

However, you wouldn’t expect any of that German-inspiration to be carried over when it comes to material quality. Overall, the interior is acceptable, with most things well screwed together.

The infotainment touchscreen, which is one of the two 12.3-inch digital displays, does not require much of a learning curve. I like that there is a pop-up menu for the air-conditioning, which also includes controls for ventilating the front seats.

At the front edge of the floating centre console, there is a bin to hold your mobile phone, where it can be wired up to charge. This comes in handy since both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto only come wired. Behind the shift-by-wire drive selector tab, there is also a wireless charging pad to err… charge.

At 703 litres, the boot of the Torres is massive. Other practical touches include a pair of coat hangers integrated behind the front seats.

A fuss-free and straightforward drive

Power comes from a 80.6kWh BYD-supplied battery, driving the front wheels. The motor puts out 201hp and 339Nm, which gets this Category B COE SUV to 100km/h in 8.2 seconds.

The Nexen Roadian GTX tyres are designed for low rolling resistance, so you do find them scrambling for grip with almost every heavy prod of the throttle. Therefore they wouldn’t be at their happiest if you were to drive more aggressively.

With that said, the KGM Torres drives comfortably, soaking our road lumps without much complaint. I like that KGM equipped the car with a set of paddle shifters, for the easy toggling of the regenerative braking function. This is a huge plus for when navigating differing traffic conditions. However, while you can turn down the “regen”, you can’t fully turn it off.

For those longer journeys, the Torres SUV is equipped with adaptive cruise control and a lane centring system to help reduce driving fatigue.

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Much competition yeah?

Priced at $216,888, the KGM Torres finds itself in the middle of some serious competition, mostly from Chinese brands. These include cars like the less fancy version of the Aion Hyptec HT, BYD Sealion 7, Jaecoo J6 and even the entry XPENG G6. If you’re not into Chinese brands just yet, you could also snag a Toyota BZ4X, KIA EV5 or a base Tesla Model Y. All of which you can buy with similar coin.

Therefore it is a no-brainer that as a buyer, you are going to be very spoilt for choice.

Text & Photos: Clifford Chow

Pros	Cons
Spacious cabin	Could use some better tyres
Comfortable ride	Interior build quality pales in comparison to its Korean counterparts
Unique design	Unnecessary pause in the gearshift when putting in reverse or drive is annoying

KGM Torres EVX Electric 80.6kWh

Drivetrain	Full Electric
Layout	Single Motor, Front-wheel Drive
Motor power / torque	210hp / 399Nm
Battery capacity	80.6kWh
Efficiency	19.2kWh/100km
Electric Range	503km
0-100km/h	8.2 seconds
Top Speed	175km/h
VES Band	A1
Dealer	Motorway Ssangyong
Price	S$216,888 with COE and VES
Verdict	Decently good EV, but plenty of competition