A new brand on the block? KGM (which stands for KG Mobility) is a rebranding and continuation of products from the former SsangYong marque – vehicles that were rather ‘low key’, exceptional value and underestimated. Bringing established top quality models to wider attention is now the name of the game. Hidden gems all. And now under ownership of the Korean KG Group we have a brand new model also at a competitive price. Enter the Torres with either petrol power or fully electric in K30 or K40 specification. The choice is pretty much as simple as that at the moment: although a 4WD and hybrid are to follow.
For up to the mark, ‘Get set Go!’ motoring, this large five seat SUV is ready, willing and able to serve up a value-for-money package that doesn’t stint on quality. It’s smart, capacious, comfortable and certainly deserves a close look – particularly if you are considering a Peugeot 5008, Mazda CX5 or Ford Kuga. Pricing starts at £31,995 for the petrol version and £39,995 for the electric EVX; and there are some enticing finance packages. I suggest a Torres is a better bet than the aforementioned rivals.
With distinctive styling, admiration and positive comment came from the most unlikely quarters – ranging from ‘oohs and aahs’ from a blue-rinsed matron in Waitrose to the greasy Hells Angel admiring the tough looking Torres outside the tattoo parlour..
Take the petrol variant with a 163bhp, 1.5 litre petrol engine driving through a six speed auto gearbox. It’s fast enough at 120mph and you will average near 40 mpg. (KGM conservatively claims 33mpg). In contrast there’s the electric model with the 73.4 kWh ‘blade’ battery pack powering a single e-motor turning out about 204 bhp and driving the front wheels. Range is a respectable 287 miles. It can be economical in the extreme – (Totally depending, of course, on where you charge). It’s super smooth and silent and rockets off from standstill: plus there’s oodles of torque for that snappy overtake. And oodles of power and torque for towing too. (up to 1.5 tonnes). As for performance, you get the accelerative level of some supercars….but you have to ask yourself if you really do need that in today’s traffic mayhem.
With either petrol or electric you are on to a winner… and in theory, if you brew your own electricity with solar panels or put your pet hamster to work in a wheel connected to a generator, then it’s free motoring. However, If you rely on the public infrastructure you might want to do more research. Some public chargers are nothing less than highway robbery, Dick Turpin in disguise with prices that are positively shocking! A home charger and a good grasp of the different types of public charging systems and which ones to avoid, is essential. Whichever version of propulsion you choose, the KGM Torres is indeed a very sensible option.
There’s no need, of course, to elaborate on the virtues of the SUV configuration, save to say that its proven versatility so often turns out to save the day. And just to prove that the Torres is very much a twenty-first century motor, it comes crammed, as you would expect, with all the latest tech. wizardry all cleverly deployed in instant user-friendly fashion. Even I knew which screen to tap or button to press.
I relished the splendidly comfortable driving position, the excellent all-round visibility, the assured handling – not to mention the satisfying feeling provided by ample power plus road presence. Motion at the wheel of the Torres bred tranquility. I wanted to continue up the road for the full 287 mile range in the EVX.
It’s an automotive marriage of head and heart. Or to put it another way, a combination of sense and sensibility. For those who drive in or around conurbations, the electric EVX might be the ideal. Today it’s possible to make use of an ever increasing network of charging points. Although it has to be said that my journey through rural Shropshire was compromised when one charge point was out of order and another was blocked by a non-electric car parked for the duration.
I must admit to an increasing addiction to the smooth swift running that is the hallmark of electric propulsion. Magic carpet analogies may be threadbare by now but as I can conjure up no better term for the seamless transitioning through road and traffic enjoyed in the electric Torres as you are whisked along without fuss, I must make it clear that the petrol version is only a whisper behind. The EVX, of course, radiates environmental purity, which means you are welcomed everywhere. Thankfully the petrol version is pretty much fume free too and meets the stipulations of all latest legislation.
I’m inclined to think that both versions of the Torres make a clean sweep of the opposition. They demonstrate just how far we have progressed since the days when boy chimney sweeps were sent up Victorian flues. Here are highly specified modern machines that buoy you up at the same time as suiting you down to the ground.
‘Which one should I have?’ I hear you ask. Well – for some, opting for on-trend motoring has to be the way to go and having experienced the EVX as the prime example of the latest electric car technology I can understand that. But…how often have you been bamboozled with endless lists of pros and cons that instead of simply buying a new car on the basis of its straightforward appeal, you’ve found yourself turning to the Delphic Oracle.
“Oh Oracle. Should I buy petrol or electric?”
“No idea! As long as it’s a Torres”.
But as for me, I rue the day they got rid of the starting handle. I prefer diesel.
