Considering a company as long established as Ford took aeons to bring a commercially viable electric car to market, KGM (the brand once known as SsangYong) was remarkably quick off the mark to bring out its first EV, the Korando e-Motion. And rather good it was too, despite its dodgy blue interior trim and slightly gawky looks. Yet for all its plus points, it never really made an impact on the market.
KGM will be hoping, therefore, that the difficult second album fares rather better. It’s called the Torres and, like the Korando, it’s offered in petrol and electric forms, but let’s be honest about this one: the electric one stands a far better chance of impressing. From the outside, KGM seems to have fixed some of the Korando’s issues, but will the new EV really be good enough to compete with the likes of the Skoda Enyaq and the Volkswagen ID.4 that seem to dominate the sales charts?
We seized the opportunity to get our first drive in a UK-specification Torres EVX.
A look inside the KGM Torres EVX
Those hoping for more of the Korando e-Motion’s dreadful blue trim are in for a disappointment in the Torres. But who was really hoping for that? Anyone? Didn’t think so.
Instead, KGM has given us a vision in bronze, mimicking Cupra’s penchant for a colour that’s best known for signalling third in class at the Olympics. To be fair, KGM would probably be quite happy were we to put the Torres third in its class, but there’s little danger of that despite the brand’s commendable efforts. Nonetheless, the design is pretty modern, with the two screens, and the bronze adds a bit of colour without feeling as tacky as the blue-lined Korando e-Motion.
Quality is not up there with that of Skoda, either in terms of materials or the way in which they’re bolted together, but it’s hardly a disaster. Sure, some of the plastics feel more Primark than premium, but compared with some of the cabins found in Suzukis, for example, the Torres feels pretty smart.
Admittedly, it isn’t trouble-free. The sharp corner of the floating centre console clatters painfully against your left knee when you go around corners, the steering wheel buttons are illogical and the gear selector isn’t always the easiest thing to use. But despite all that, it still feels competitive for something at the budget end of the spectrum.
It’s roomy, too, with heaps of space in the back allowing you to carry four adults comfortably and five at a pinch. There’s no seven-seat option, but that just means there’s more space in the boot, which holds a massive 703 litres even when all five seats are upright.
The KGM Torres EVX’s on-board technology
The Torres looks more modern than any other KGM product inside, but the tech still isn’t as up-to-date as we might have hoped. Yes, you get a digital instrument display and a big touchscreen, both of which add an extra dash of interest and colour to proceedings, but while the instrument cluster is clear and useful enough, it doesn’t really offer anything particularly clever in the way of functionality.
But the touchscreen is the weak link in the Torres’ chain, proving laggy and difficult to navigate. Simple actions, such as changing the volume, are really difficult to accomplish unless you use the steering wheel buttons, and that’s hardly a credible solution for the front-seat passenger. And other niggles irritate, such as the long string of displays you must navigate to turn off the speed limit warning tech (which is, in fairness, no more or less useless than any other such system). User-friendly it is not.
That said, it does come with lots of useful systems, including the Apple CarPlay smartphone integration that makes up for the naff graphics, but is still held back slightly by the screen’s slow response to jabs from your fingers.
How many child seats can I fit in the KGM Torres EVX?
The Torres EVX comes with two ISOFIX child seat mounting points on the rear bench, installed in the outermost seats. Because it’s quite a roomy rear cabin, that means there’s ample room for two fairly sizeable seats, and hopefully enough to prevent too many squabbles, although without proper mounting points in the front, some buyers may prefer a car such as the Volkswagen ID.4, which has ISOFIX on the front passenger seat.
How much will the KGM Torres EVX cost in Ireland?
KGM is charging €51,000 for the Torres EVX on the Irish market, which sounds like quite a lot of money when the Enyaq starts at just under €45,000. That said, the mid-range Enyaq ‘85’, which is the one with a comparable battery to the Torres, costs well over €57,000, and that makes the KGM look like better value. Especially when there’s only one trim level on offer and it comes with a huge amount of standard equipment.
Included in the price is the 12.3-inch digital instrument display and the similarly sized touchscreen, as well as the two-zone climate control, wireless phone charging and navigation system. Heated and ventilated front seats are standard too, along with powered front seat adjustment and a power-operated tailgate. KGM even throws in a sunroof.
What is the range of the KGM Torres EVX?
The Torres EVX is a big car, but it’s surprisingly efficient. At 73.4kWh, the battery isn’t massive - it’s smaller than the battery in a mid-range Skoda Enyaq, for example - but it still offers a range of 460km on the official economy test. And our real-world tests found that range was surprisingly achievable, with a top end of around 350km at motorway speeds. Over a mixture of roads, 400km should be doable without any trouble at all. Admittedly, we’re currently enduring a wet but warm summer, and those figures will undoubtedly tumble in the depths of a chilly winter, but the same is true of every other EV in this class.
But while the Torres’ range is fairly good, its charging capacity is not quite up there with the best on the market. With the ability to take 145kW on a public charging point, it’ll top up from 10 to 80 per cent in 28 minutes at maximum charging speed, while a 100kW charger will take it from 20 to 80 per cent in 37 minutes. And if you’ve got access to an 11kW AC charging point, it’ll recharge the battery completely in nine hours, which should be enough to have it done overnight.
For all that, the Torres doesn’t quite live up to its manufacturer’s reputation when it comes to off-road capability. There’s no all-wheel-drive option, so you’re stuck with all the motor’s 207hp going to the front wheels, limiting all-terrain options. It’s punchy enough - the EVX isn’t exactly rapid, but it isn’t slow either - getting from 0-100km/h in about eight seconds. That means you’ll have no problem keeping up with traffic, and there’s plenty of performance in reserve if you need it.
Driving the KGM Torres EVX
Although the Torres might be quite high-tech inside and under the bonnet, the way it drives isn’t quite so 21st-century. The steering is light, which is good for manoeuvrability in such a large car, but it doesn’t have the feedback or the precision of the Enyaq, which makes the KGM feel a bit slack. And despite the battery keeping the weight relatively low down, the Torres leans a bit in corners. As a result, it doesn’t really reward those who want to drive the car quickly, and though that isn’t a problem in itself, it makes the Enyaq a much better choice for those who enjoy driving.
For everyone else, though, the differences aren’t so great. The Torres rides on pretty large alloy wheels, which ensures some potholes make their presence felt, but the overall comfort isn’t too shabby, particularly on the motorway. It isn’t perfect by any stretch, and the occasional lump in the road will catch it out, but this is one of the most comfortable KGM models to hit the market for a while.
And it’s one of the most refined. Naturally, the electric motor doesn’t make a great deal of noise, but the tyres aren’t too loud on the road and the wind noise is minimal, too. Unfortunately, some of the safety kit likes to bong at you for no apparent reason, which disturbs the peace a bit, but that’s the only real complaint.
How safe is the KGM Torres EVX?
The Torres is still yet to be assessed by the independent safety organisation, Euro NCAP, so there’s no star rating for it as yet. But given one of SsangYong/KGM’s most recent models, the Korando family SUV, got the full five stars when it was evaluated, we’d expect KGM to manage a similar feat with the Torres.
Particularly as the car comes with heaps of safety equipment as standard, including lane-departure warning and blind-spot monitoring, as well as autonomous emergency braking to a stop the car if the driver doesn’t respond to a hazard.
The reasons you’d buy a KGM Torres EVX
Perhaps the most polished KGM/SsangYong product yet, the Torres builds on everything that was good about the Korando e-Motion and adds size, style and modernity. It isn’t perfect, thanks in part to the technology that could well improve as time goes on, but it’s already a solid contender in the medium-sized electric SUV market, and it offers fairly good value for money. As a left-field choice, or viewed in isolation, it’s perfectly commendable, but it still can’t quite match the likes of the Skoda Enyaq and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Ask us anything about the KGM Torres EVX
Should you wish to know anything else about the KGM Torres EVX, or any other car sold in Ireland, you can take advantage of our Ask Us Anything page. Our expert advice service is completely free of charge, and it allows you to find out whatever you need to know to make your next car-buying decision.
