What We Like
- Distinct and tough looks
- Spacious and comfortable cabin
- Impressive ride quality
- Good ergonomics and controls
- Filled with clever features
- Powerful drivetrain
What We Dislike
- Gear selector can be cumbersome to operate when parking
- Build quality of interior could be improved
- Grippier tyres would be adequate
“Is this one of the Chinese brands among the hundreds that I saw at Auto China Motorshow?” That thought flashed on my mind when I was first told of the KGM Torres EVX.
But it isn’t a Chinese car. KGM (short for KG Mobility) is in fact a company that we are all rather familiar with – after its acquisition by Korean KG Group, SsangYong was transformed into KGM, and the Torres EVX is the new brand’s first ever EV passenger car.
SsangYong was a brand that has quite a reputation for quirky-looking products (cars that some might even call ugly), but I’m glad to tell you that this new car isn’t ugly. In fact, I’m finding it rather charming after spending some time with it.
Inspired, and a dash of unique flavour
SsangYong’s designs have never appealed to me, and the main reason I’m able to identify them with ease is how outlandish and unappealing its cars were.
Thankfully, it seems that the oddball designs are a thing of the past, much like its former name. While the Torres EVX seems to be an amalgam of inspirations from other brands, it is an appealing and tough-looking SUV that manages to look quite distinct.
The rugged SUV body with plastic cladding and bulging fenders is headlined by its distinct horizontal LED daytime running lights broken up by seven slats, reminding of cars like the Hummer EV, and Jeep’s iconic grille elements. The actual head lights are the rectangular units on either side of the front bumper.
From the rear, the Torres EVX is equally unique, featuring a hexagonal bulge inspired by spare tyre covers that we used to see on SUVs. The bulge and the license plate area are also offset to the left of the car, resulting in an asymmetrical rear-end, reminiscent of the Land Rover Discovery 4 and 5.
While you can see elements of many other SUVs on the Torres EVX, KGM has managed to create a unique and identifiable design. It also features cool little design elements that are inspired by the trigrams on the South Korean flag – a nod to its home country.
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A combination of favourable traits
The heavily inspired design continues inside the Torres EVX, with obvious hints of Audi, BMW and Volkswagen Group products.
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The four-spoke steering is reminiscent of Audi’s recent designs, while the dual 12.3-inch digital cluster and infotainment displays on a curved plane seem borrowed from a BMW – even the graphics on the cluster look BMW-inspired. The general layout of the dashboard, air vents and the floating centre console reminds of the BMW X1, while the gear selector is similar to Volkswagen’s – though switching from D to R and vice versa requires double or prolonged taps on the selector.
However, I’ll have to commend KGM for the markedly improved interior. From the choice of materials to the fit and finish and colours, the Torres EVX’s interior is more than adequate. While there are some creaks and imperfections, the interior is generally pleasant, with soft-touch leather-like material in place of where you’d usually expect hard plastics.
User experience of the touchscreen systems and the various controls are also intuitive and easy to use. The infotainment is simple, with most settings easily navigated, and there are even shortcuts on the top and right side of the screen to bring up frequently used functions such as the climate control system and to turn on the ventilated seats.
I didn’t realise how much I’ve missed the straightforward controls found in cars of the yesteryear until I got into the Torres EVX and adjusted its side mirrors. The side mirrors adjuster isn’t buried inside the touchscreen, instead you get a traditional knob on the door card, which is easy, quick and intuitive to operate; the same can be said of the physical air vents.
By referencing many tried and tested design elements, KGM has created a cabin with good ergonomics and user experience, but above that, it has also included some nifty little touches.
At the edge of the floating console is a phone holder with a slot for you to feed the USB cable through – perfect for connecting to the system’s wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay feature. There are also hooks integrated behind the front headrests, which will come in handy for your groceries, bubble tea or takeaway food.
Additionally, the interior is filled with many compartments and cubbyholes. The clever use of space and convenience features reminds of what Skoda cars are known for – you really have to applaud KGM’s dedication in learning from other’s success.
An easy drive with exceptional comfort
Despite looking like an off-roader, the Torres EVX really is an SUV meant for urban settings as it is a front-wheel drive model without any real off-road credentials, apart from its tall ride height.
Equipped with an electric motor and 80.6kWh battery supplied by BYD, the Torres EVX manages a range of 503km, and puts out 152kW (204bhp) and 339Nm of torque to the front wheels. This allows it to complete the century sprint in 8.2 seconds, which doesn’t sound too crazy.
But during my time with the car, the torque made it easy to light up the front wheels – the car would likely benefit from grippier tyres.
That said, the comfort-oriented tyres were a good match with the comfort-oriented suspension on the car – the KGM Torres EVX could very well be the most comfortable-riding SUV that I have driven in recent times. The car soaks up most minor imperfections in the road very effectively, and yet doesn’t suffer from the characteristic SUV wobble that is found on most cars of this body style.
All driving controls are also nicely weighted, with a steering that offers sufficient feedback for a confidence inspiring drive, a well-weighted pedal for effortless speed control, and brakes with good modulation. A capable adaptive cruise control and lane centering system further adds to the ease of driving. With this car, anyone can easily achieve a smooth and comfortable drive.
A pleasant offering from a different region
The KGM Torres EVX might have been inspired by multitudes of cars in the market, and thus lacking in originality, but the brand has managed to combine the favourable traits found in other cars to create a cohesive product.
In fact, if you aren’t intrinsically familiar with cars from different brands, you probably wouldn’t be bothered by (or even notice) the heavily borrowed design elements. What you’ll see is a spacious and comfortable SUV, which is also easy to drive and distinct looking.
Its sub-$200,000 price tag places the KGM Torres EVX among the most affordable Cat B EV SUV offerings here.
But, it faces strong competition from many Chinese EVs (both Cat A and Cat B models) priced in its ballpark, including the BYD Sealion 7, Jaecoo 6, Xpeng G6 and the Aion Hyptec HT. While the Torres EVX puts up a good fight against its competitors, I suspect the final decision would be influenced more so by the car buyer’s preference for make and country of origin than the actual merits of the car.
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This article was first published in sgCarMart.
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