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A new brand, KGM Motors, launched in out market in early 2024. It mainly sold old re-badged SsangYongs, but there was an all-new product, this car, the Torres mid-sized SUV. A tough, versatile, five-seat upper-mid-sized SUV, it came in both combustion and EV forms and offered something quite appealingly different. Here, we look at the early 2024-2025-era versions of this model.
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Detailed ratings
Medium-Sized Family Hatch-Based SUVs
History
Back in early 2024, KGM Motors was the fresh name for the Korean marque that had previously been called SsangYong. So it wasn't quite a new brand, but it did need a new product line-up, which started with this car, the KGM Torres.
As part of its 2024 UK launch, KGM did also sell other models here, but they were all simply re-badged versions of previous SsangYongs. The Torres, in contrast, was all-new, the first in a fresh raft of designs using a lot of borrowed technology from Chinese maker BYD. This new product offensive was a condition of SsangYong's buy-out by huge South Korean chemical and steel company the KG group in 2022. The Torres represented the first fruits of the subsequent re-launched brand's rejuvenated 'new era of innovation' approach and was apparently named after the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.
The initial Torres product choice was between an old-tech un-electrified petrol engine and an all-electric EVX model and it's that 2024-32025 product line-up we look at here. In early 2026, the petrol unit was replaced with a full-Hybrid (of the non-plug-in sort).
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What you get
This SUV's a little bigger than it looks in the pictures, the 4.7-metre length about the same as a Nissan X-Trail or Skoda Kodiaq. There's a chunky profile too, with 1,720mm of height and 1,890mm of width. Lots of black plastic cladding and a contrasting C-pillar add finishing touches. Big 20-inch wheels are fitted to most models. The slotted grille gives a Jeep-style vibe, but here it's accompanied by all kinds of sharp creases and edges.
It's modern and minimalist inside, though the copper-coloured dash and console trimming won't be to everyone's taste. You view the 'twin panoramic' instrument display through a four-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel. The wide, slim dashboard houses a pair of 12.3-inch screens, the instrument display offered with various selectable formats that include full-screen mapping.
You might reasonably expect an SUV the length of an X-Trail or Kodiaq to offer a third seating row. The Torres doesn't, which seems like a bit of a missed opportunity. In the rear, once inside, back seat space is generous for a couple of adults and those in the two outer seats will enjoy plenty of head and leg space. Plus there's a flat floor so that a third centrally-seated adult could reasonably easily accommodated if need be. Out back, the power-operated tailgate rises to reveal an extremely large boot, rated at 703-litres with the rear seats in place, regardless of whether you choose the combustion model or the alternative EV version.
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What to look for
Thoroughly check the infotainment system for glitches and makes sure it Bluetooth/Apple CarPlay/Android Auto-links properly - the set-up's wired-only. Because (unlike most of its class rivals) this is a proper SUV, check underneath for signs of off roading damage, especially if you're looking at a 4x4 version. If you're considering the EVX version, make sure it charges properly and that the charging lead hasn't been run over and damaged.
As with all larger SUVs, look for signs of child damage in the interior: as ever, stains and scratches are a good negotiating point. The interiors are also fairly indestructible but the metallic and shiny plastic finishes can quickly lose their lustre.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2024 Torres 1.5 petrol - autodoc.co.uk - ex-VAT) KGM parts aren't too expensive, given that it was a low volume importer. You'll need to set aside around £12-£13 for an oil filter and an air filter costs in the £11-£34 bracket. An alternator costs in the £609 bracket. Front brake pads sit in the £38-£71 bracket for a set. Front brake discs can be had for around £34-£66 a pair. A starter motor costs around £118.
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On the road
This is a futuristic -looking car, but its core engine is rather old school, the same 1.5-litre 163PS four cylinder petrol turbo unit used by the old Korando and Tivoli. KGM said it had been massaged bit for this installation, with a 10% improvement in acceleration, which explains why the 10.8s 0-62mph sprint time is the same as the smaller Korando model fitted with the same basic unit. Top speed is 118mph. A 6-speed auto transmission (with paddleshifters) is mandatory, but unlike with the Korando, 2WD isn't. With this earlier version of the Torres, as long as you're happy with combustion power, a 4WD option's available at the top of the range. With 280Nm of torque on tap, braked towing capacity is rated at 1.5 tonnes (750kg braked) plus there's a trailer sway control function.
Don't expect cutting-edge drive dynamics - but since when has any EV crossover of this kind offered that? You're likely to find this one predictable, solid and refined, with plenty of camera safety kit. Off road, KGM claims 'competitive' approach and departure angles. These are aided by a tough chassis fashioned from 81% high tensile steel. KGM did its best to make this combustion Torres model's aging 1.5-litre petrol turbo engine as efficient as it could be, but the returns of this unit are still some way off the class best. You're looking at 33.2mpg on the combined cycle and 194g/km of CO2 for the front-driven version; and 31.1mpg and 207g/km for the AWD model.
Mind you, it's necessary to be comparing apples with apples here and pitching this car against proper tough SUVs that as well as comfortably seating five, can easily tow heavier loads and, if necessary, take you properly off road, rather than simply through the odd muddy carpark. Once you do that, this Torres actually stacks up pretty well.
The combustion alternative is a full-EV model, the Torres EVX. This mates a 201bhp single drive motor with a 73.4kWh battery that when fully energised offers 287 miles between charges. Impressively, the EVX can tow the same weight as the combustion model. This variant DC-charges at 145kW. And it's possible to charge external devices from its V-2-L socket.
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Overall
At a stroke, the Torres made everything else in the KGM range look a bit 'yesterday'. The brand claimed this C+ segment SUV created 'a new market niche'. It didn't, but it was an important car for the company to have, filling the gap between its existing Korando and Rexton models. The Rexton has a niche following, but back in 2024 it was difficult to think of many reasons to buy a Korando, which is why the Torres was so important to the future of this Korean maker. It was the company's first really credible volume SUV and within the range lay this manufacturer's first really credible volume electric vehicle. Firsts don't get much more significant than that in the modern automotive era.
With this earlier 2024-2025-era Torres, we were a little disappointed that the budget didn't extend to a more modern electrified combustion engine - that followed in early 2026. Still, the exterior design's appealing and the EV variant's drivetrain looks competitive. If you're shopping in the family SUV segment for a mid-sized model from this period and want something different that's more SUV-like, then this KGM's worth a look.
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