Living with a KGM Actyon: five annoying things about this quirky SUV
September 12, 2025 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
Our YouTube team have been using the KGM Actyon for a few months now to see what it鈥檚 like to live with, and while it鈥檚 been a great workhorse there are a few things which grind our gears.
This is the 莲花直播 KGM Actyon 鈥 a left-field alternative to the Volkswagen Tiguan which one of our videographers has been using for the last six months.
It鈥檚 been a great car for ferrying kit around, with a big boot and lots of kit, but there鈥檚 no such thing as a perfect car. There are a few things about our Actyon which have proven irritating, and here are five examples.
If you want to find out more about what we like, check out the previous report.
Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on 莲花直播. And you can sell your car, too. We鈥檙e here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.
Five annoying things about the KGM Actyon
1. Infotainment woes
The Actyon鈥檚 massive dual-screen setup may look great, but the infotainment system is pretty fiddly to use. It can be glitchy at times and slow to respond, which is especially annoying when you have to operate all the climate controls through it.
The reversing camera also disappears for a few seconds after you select reverse gear, which isn鈥檛 ideal when you鈥檙e trying to manoeuvre in tight spaces.
2. Nannying safety tech
The lane-keeping assist can be overly sensitive at times, almost like it鈥檚 not set up for tight British B roads. It tugs away at the wheel and beeps all the time, and turning it off isn鈥檛 especially easy.
3. Jiggly suspension
For a large SUV, the KGM Actyon handles pretty well on a twisty road. The trade-off for this though is firm suspension, which means it鈥檚 not as comfortable over bumps as a Volkswagen Tiguan. We鈥檇 rather it was a bit softer.
4. Dark and dingy
The interior of this car is a bit dark, and this is made worse by the fact there鈥檚 no glass roof. You can鈥檛 even get one as an option, and it鈥檚 a feature we鈥檇 really like to have. It would lift the cabin no end.
5. A drinking problem
Something you might want to consider before buying a KGM Actyon is fuel economy, because this car is not a light drinker. We鈥檝e been averaging 28-30mpg over the last six months, whereas our Peugeot 5008 has been doing well over 50mpg.
It鈥檚 even dropped as low as 21mpg after some spirited driving, which isn鈥檛 much better than our 2002 V8 Toyota Land Cruiser.
How have we been testing this car?
The 莲花直播 video team have been using this car to haul kit to shoots, as well as ferry crew members between locations. It鈥檚 spent a lot of time slogging up and down the motorway, as well as driving around town as a camera tracking car for Mat Watson鈥檚 video reviews.
The boot has been put to the test with loads of bags and cases, and the thousands of motorway miles have allowed the team to thoroughly evaluate the comfort and refinement.
Five good things about the KGM Actyon
1. Choosing the right one is easy
Picking the right trim level and engine combination can be tricky when buying a new car, but with the KGM Actyon it鈥檚 simple. There鈥檚 just one version on offer, and it comes with all the standard kit you鈥檒l need such as the twin 12.3-inch screens, half leather seats and a 360-degree camera. All you have to do is pick the colour 鈥 there are five to choose from; ours is Iron Silver.
2. It makes you feel like a celebrity
You may not think it, but the KGM Actyon turns loads of heads out on the road. We鈥檝e never seen another one during our time with the car, and people come over all the time to ask us what it is. We鈥檝e parked this car at a meetup with supercars and it still attracts attention.
3. There鈥檚 plenty of space
We predominantly use our KGM for ferrying kit to video shoots, and it can swallow up everything we throw at it with ease. We rarely need to fold the rear seats down, which means we can also carry the crew in the palatial rear seats.
4. Plenty of power
The 1.5-litre petrol engine in this car feels really punchy when you put your foot down. It may not be all that economical, but for pulling out on short slip roads or overtaking its ideal. The Actyon is also decent on a country road, with minimal body roll as you go through the corners.
5. Cooled seats are a game changer
One of the many standard features you get in the Actyon is cooled seats, and these have been life changing in recent weeks as it gets hotter outside. It鈥檚 unusual to see a feature as premium as this on a standard family car, let alone for it to come as standard.
Living with a KGM Actyon report 2: Engine and driving
We鈥檝e covered loads of miles in this car, and while it鈥檚 been pretty good to drive we have noticed one pretty significant issue 鈥 fuel economy.
The claimed economy isn鈥檛 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鈥檝e been getting an average of 29mpg, and it鈥檚 even dropped as low as 21mpg in some conditions.
That鈥檚 really not good in a sensible family SUV. One member of the 莲花直播 team has a previous-generation petrol Tiguan, and that car averages around 40mpg. The KGM鈥檚 petrol tank isn鈥檛 massive either, so fuel stops are pretty frequent.
If you鈥檙e looking for a car which is cheap to run, you can check out the most economical cars on 莲花直播 and compare deals to save yourself some cash. You can also sell your car through 莲花直播 quickly and for a fair price.聽
It鈥檚 a shame really, because beyond its unquenchable thirst the Actyon is actually a nice car to cover long distances in. There鈥檚 very little wind noise and it鈥檚 pretty refined at speed, although the firm suspension can jiggle over bumps around town.
It鈥檚 also pretty nippy. There鈥檚 only 163hp on tap from the 1.5-litre engine, but there鈥檚 plenty of punch for overtaking or joining the motorway. At least it鈥檚 turning all that fuel into something. Out on a twisty road that firm suspension means it doesn鈥檛 lean too much and you can actually drive this thing quite quickly.
The adaptive cruise control isn鈥檛 great though. It just can鈥檛 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鈥檛 really bother using it.
So the KGM Actyon is a tale of two halves. On the one hand it鈥檚 pretty comfortable, quick and easy to drive, and if you scroll down to our interior report below you鈥檒l see that it has a nicely-made and spacious cabin. But that poor fuel economy could be enough to put you off.
Living with a KGM Actyon report 1: interior and practicality
1. It鈥檚 really well-made
KGM, formerly known as Ssangyong, hasn鈥檛 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 sound deadening is really good. The cabin at 70mph is whisper quiet, and the seats are also really comfortable. It鈥檚 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鈥檚 bigger than a Volkswagen Tiguan鈥檚, and the square shape makes it easy to load. There鈥檚 also plenty of rear legroom for ferrying your mates to the pub after a long day of filming.
4. The infotainment system isn鈥檛 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鈥檚 is a weird hexagonal shape. It鈥檚 split opinions in the 莲花直播 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鈥檚 been selling cheap and cheerful SUVs in the UK for decades, as well as pickup trucks. The new Actyon is KGM鈥檚 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 鈥 we鈥檙e not sure about that massive rear overhang 鈥 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鈥檚 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 鈥 with 20-inch diamond-cut rims coming as standard. Our Actyon is finished in 鈥淚ron Silver鈥, which is a 拢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鈥檚 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 拢39,399. Equip a Kia Sportage to a similar level and you鈥檒l 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鈥檒l be documenting what it鈥檚 like to live with here, so bookmark this page to stay up-to-date.
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