2025 KGM SsangYong Torres Adventure review

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2025 KGM SsangYong Torres Adventure

SsangYong has finally rebranded to the catchy ‘KGM SsangYong’ in Australia, and the first car to arrive bearing the new nameplate is the KGM SsangYong Torres – a mid-sized SUV with bold looks and even bolder aspirations to compete with rivals like the Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, GWM Haval H6, and Nissan X-Trail.

The entire range comes with simple drive-away pricing, plus KGM SsangYong's seven-year warranty is nothing to scoff at.

The brand's been around in Australia since 1997, and although it is a specialist in dual-cab utes and off-road wagons, it has past experience producing cars like the Tivoli small SUV and Korando medium SUV.

Within the KGM SsangYong line-up, the Korando will be retained, with the new Torres slotting in above that existing model in terms of price and size.

Its styling is unlike anything else we've seen from the brand, with the kind of tough-truck styling you'd expect on a ute translated to an SUV wagon body. In my mind, I think it looks awesome. Definitely unique, if nothing else.

Unlike its competition that's beginning to offer hybrid powertrains, the KGM SsangYong Torres features no electric assistance for its 1.5-litre turbocharged engine. However, an all-electric version is due soon.

For now, I've spent time with the mid-range Torres Adventure to see how it fits in with my life over the course of a week.

How much is a KGM SsangYong Torres?

It's fair to say that despite KGM SsangYong's near 30-year history in Australia, it remains a left-field brand against rivals such as Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Kia – the brands that sell medium SUVs in the thousands.

Add in the fact that it now faces competition from challenger brands such as MG and GWM, and the new Torres slots into a hot market.

It's priced from $38,000 drive-away for the base-specification KGM SsangYong Torres ELX, then $43,000 for the mid-grade Torres Adventure I've driven, and $47,000 for the flagship Torres Ultimate specification.

It's not exactly cheap when compared to rivals such as the GWM Haval H6, which begins at $30,990 and tops out at $42,990 (both drive-away), or the MG HS which ranges between $33,990 and $40,990 drive-away.

It's priced closer to conventional rivals such as the $44,190 (plus on-road costs) Nissan X-Trail ST-L FWD.

All variants of the Torres are powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that outputs 120kW and 280Nm through a six-speed automatic transmission. The Torres ELX and Adventure send power to the front wheels only, while the range-topping Ultimate gets all-wheel drive.

In terms of specification, all get LED headlights with daytime running signatures, dual-zone climate control, power-folding side mirrors, privacy glass, and two 12.3-inch displays running the infotainment software.

Reasons why you might want to upgrade to the mid-spec grade include additional safety (blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert), synthetic leather-look seats, heated front seats and steering wheel, a powered boot release, LED front fog lights, and tyre pressure monitoring.

How big is a KGM SsangYong Torres?

Looks-wise, the KGM SsangYong Torres interior presents like a smart place. It's got interesting copper-coloured dash inserts that provide a splash of colour on an otherwise black-clad cabin, while the leather-accent seats feature copper stitching to match.

It's very practical – there's a deep centre console compartment to stow items, several angled trays for phones and wallets, dual cupholders, a tray underneath the dashboard, and a sizeable tray underneath the 'flyover' centre console arrangement.

There are two USB-C ports and a singular 12-volt outlet. The door panel bottle holders are huge, with individual cut-outs for multiple bottles, plus a sizeable glovebox.

It's only once you start interacting with the cabin that some of the lustre comes off. There are minimal soft-touch panels on the doors, none surrounding the centre console tunnel, and only some on the very top of the dashboard.

It might look attractive in terms of design and practicality, but it's nasty to touch. It's hard and doesn't convey a feeling of quality. Even the steering wheel, although it's covered in a leatherette material, feels particularly hard and doesn't have much of a plush feeling.

Price-wise, this is competing with some strong competition, so it's a shame to see the quality of the Torres's interior isn't quite the same.

The seats aren't exactly form-fitting for my wide hips and the seat base is particularly firm. There's enough adjustment to get a commanding driving position, though it's manual adjustment only.

It misses out on auto-down windows for the second row, and the steering wheel buttons are often hit-and-miss as to whether they register a press or not.

The rear row of the interior is just about as practical as the front.

There are multiple little spots to stow small items and dual USB-C ports situated at the back of the centre console. It has air vents, map pockets, a fold-down centre armrest with two cupholders, and grab handles for passengers to grip. Don't forget the standard privacy glass adds a layer of anonymity to whoever's in the back seat.

Space-wise, it's comfortable for a mid-size SUV. For reference, I'm 194cm tall and I fit snugly behind my own driving position, had plenty of foot room, and acres of head space.

It felt tight side-to-side, though this is a medium SUV after all. Buyers who'll be ferrying four passengers regularly may want to investigate a large SUV. I like to see that the Torres has a reclining second row too.

At the back, the Torres has a side-mounted handle that you expect opens up the rear hatch with a side hinge. However, the boot electrically opens upwards like convention and paves way to a massive 703-litre stowage space.

It can expand to a maximum 1526L with all seats folded flat in 60/40 fashion. The rear compartment comes with a cargo blind to hide items, though there are no tie-down points or hooks.

Under the boot floor sits a space-saver spare wheel.

Does the KGM SsangYong Torres have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

Dual 12.3-inch screens run the Torres's infotainment and digital cluster. It doesn't fire up immediately, rather it takes about half a minute for the system to "prepare for your safe drive", but once it's up and running the system is handy.

Although there are no physical controls for the air-conditioning system, KGM SsangYong has placed a small pop-up menu to the right of the screen that can be called upon easily to tweak air settings and the heated seat/steering wheel controls.

The design is basic with a simple home screen and a dedicated app menu, and while it doesn't come with digital radio or native satellite navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available through one of the USB-C ports.

I like how it comes with a Rear-Seat Sleep mode that shuts off speaker output to the second row whenever your rear passengers are resting.

There's a brief bit of lag whenever you select an option on the infotainment screen, but what's more annoying is it looks like the screen hasn't been flipped from left-hand-drive mode to right-hand drive.

South Korea drives on the other side of the car to us in Australia, and the shortcuts for both the native navigation and Apple CarPlay are stubbornly placed on the left-hand side – not the right like you'd see in every other right-hand-drive car.

Additionally, I couldn't find a volume slider anywhere in the car apart from the steering wheel button.

The digital driver's screen shows critical driving information such as speed, rev-counting, and fuel level, plus trip data and fuel economy information. There are no different displays or gauges that you can cycle between, as you'd get in cars like the Nissan X-Trail.

There is currently no smartphone application that can wirelessly connect to the car to monitor bits and pieces like fuel level, air conditioning, or service status.

Is the KGM SsangYong Torres a safe car?

At the time of writing the KGM SsangYong Torres has not been rated by ANCAP or its European equivalent.

What safety technology does the KGM SsangYong Torres have?

There are eight airbags that protect occupants inside the Torres in the event of a crash. But, even before that, there are active safety measures such as autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, a driver-attention alert, and automatic high beams.

It also gets a lane-centring system that steers the car within a lane, though the driver will need to continue holding the steering wheel.

Buyers of the mid-spec Adventure, like I had, receive a rear cross-traffic system that can warn (but not brake) of cars behind, and it gets a blind-spot monitoring system.

Disappointingly, the Torres goes without adaptive cruise control that is available on almost all rival medium SUVs. The Torres Ultimate is the only spec available with adaptive cruise control.

There were no adverse reactions from the safety systems while I had the car on test. The autonomous emergency braking comes with varying levels of reactiveness, which you can change to your preference too.

How much does the KGM SsangYong Torres cost to run?

KGM SsangYong cars and utes come with an impressive seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia. Importantly, the brand also provides seven years of capped-price servicing to match.

Unfortunately, the brand has cut back on its seven years of roadside assistance as of July 2024. It now stands at five years from the date of delivery.

Service intervals take place every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever of these milestones occurs first.

Service prices alternate between $338 and $442 each visit. Three years' maintenance runs to $1118 and five services costs $1898. On top of those service costs KGM SsangYong also has separate schedules (and additional costs) for brake fluid and it filters (every 2 years), and spark plugs (4 years/60,000km) which may push servicing costs higher.

This compares against the Honda CR-V, which costs $995 over five visits, or the GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid, which costs $1650 over five visits.

Is the KGM SsangYong Torres fuel-efficient?

The KGM SsangYong Torres is powered by a turbocharged engine and the brand quotes a fuel consumption of 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres on a combined driving cycle.

In practice, the consumption claim was slightly over what’s quoted by KGM SsangYong. I returned 9.0L/100km over the course of a week. A lot of my time was spent on highways, which means the engine wasn't working as hard and using as much fuel as it would if I were stuck in traffic.

What is the KGM SsangYong Torres like to drive?

The KGM SsangYong Torres looks like it should be tackling big hills and scrabbly fire trails with its tough looks. But, make no mistake, this is another medium SUV that places practicality above all else.

Its turbocharged engine produces 120kW and 280Nm, and it tasks the front wheels with putting power to the ground. Around town, these outputs are ample for everyday driving and pull the car up to a speed limit without dawdling.

The throttle is touchy and the car leaps forward when you breathe on the pedal, but it's easy to control and adds to the liveliness of the driving character.

Overtakes should be pre-planned when on rural roads, because the outright power is less effective during kick-down accelerations. But, the six-speed transmission is smart at dropping down gears when required and picks the right ratio when going up hills.

Annoyingly, the little nib gear selector must be prodded twice to slot it between drive and reverse (or pressed and held for a few seconds), which doesn't help when you're quickly trying to execute a three-point turn.

However, the tight turning circle is effective and the steering is light. It's an easy car to manoeuvre.

The start/stop system takes a frustratingly long time to restart the engine after letting off the brake pedal, and even more annoying, I couldn't find any way to turn the system off altogether initially. The control is hidden in a pull-down menu of the infotainment, and not particularly intuitive to find.

Vision out of the cabin is good and the blind-spot monitoring was effective at alerting to cars beside me. Likewise, the lane-centring did a good job of keeping the car within lane markings.

That said, using an outdated cruise-control system was disappointing.

The fit and finish of the cabin were sturdy and I didn't experience any noticeable rattles or creaks, though road noise on freeways was persistent. Especially on coarse-chip bitumen, tyre noise reverberates around the cabin.

This is a firmer-set car in terms of suspension compliance. Over little imperfections and bumps in the road, the Torres carries a brittle ride comfort that translates vibrations and movement into the cabin. Even over larger bumps, it feels taut and unrelenting as you pass over speed humps or train tracks, for example.

I wouldn't call it a deal-breaker, though this medium SUV does not favour passenger comfort. On the flip side, its body control is well maintained in corners and the car stays resolutely flat at higher speeds.

How much weight can a KGM SsangYong Torres tow?

The KGM SsangYong Torres is rated to tow up to 1500kg using a braked trailer or 500kg without one.

Although I didn't have the chance to tow with the vehicle while it was on test, in reality, the Torres wouldn't be my first choice of tow vehicle.

Should I buy a KGM SsangYong Torres?

As we know, the medium SUV market in Australia is the most popular type of segment. Buyers tend to flock to established nameplates including Honda, Nissan, Kia, and Toyota.

That's not to say that there's no space for challenger brands – cars from GWM and MG find success locally with strong value and solid feature lists.

But, unfortunately for KGM SsangYong, the Torres doesn't offer enough ability or niceties for its relatively high price.

The interior lacks the materials that rival manufacturers use in their cars, it lacks features (like wireless smartphone mirroring or charging, electric seats, adaptive cruise control), and the driving experience is decidedly firm – which stands at odds with this car's buying demographic.

While the long warranty is a big plus, the service pricing isn't exactly competitive.

The big plus is the interior space – there's ample room in the second row and its boot is huge in comparison to its rivals.

But, I wanted to see the KGM SsangYong Torres punch harder at its price point. I like KGM SsangYong as an underdog brand, but its best cars still seem to be in the dual-cab ute and off-road SUV segments.

How do I buy a KGM SsangYong Torres? The next steps.

If you've read this far and are still keen on a KGM SsangYong Torres, I think the mid-spec Adventure is the way to go. The mid-spec offering comes with nice boosts in safety tech and equipment.

If you're still on the fence, I'd highly recommend checking out its challenger-brand rivals such as the MG HS or the GWM Haval H6. These brands regularly do runout specials too.

The next step is to find your nearest KGM SsangYong dealer. You can also find KGM SsangYongs for sale at Drive Marketplace.

To stay up to date with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, head to our news section by clicking here.

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