Combining Cost-Effectiveness, from 'Machoman' to 'Chadonan' [Taboleo]

KG Mobility Actyon New Model Launch
'Pursuing Beautiful Practicality'... Complete Design Overhaul

KG Mobility Actyon

The Actyon, Korea's first coupe-style sports utility vehicle (SUV), has returned in a completely new form, leaving behind its past sluggishness. It has shed its macho image and is now equipped with a sophisticated urban exterior. While it has clear pros and cons, it offers cost-effectiveness that surpasses them.

KG Mobility has expressed its ambition to set a new standard for urban SUVs with the Actyon. In fact, its size is new, with a length of 4740 mm and a width of 1910 mm. Its length is longer than the compact SUV Hyundai Tucson, and its width is wider than the mid-size SUV Kia Sorento. As a coupe-style SUV, its height is 40 mm lower than its predecessor, the Torres. The front is also innovative. The LED daytime running lights, featuring the Geon-Gon-Gam-Ri pattern from the Taegeukgi (Korean flag), light up when the car doors are opened or closed, welcoming the driver. The sleek side profile is balanced by 20-inch tires. The rear reinterprets the coupe shape that symbolized previous generations of the Actyon. The rear, sloping at a sharper angle, is equipped with horizontal and vertical taillights. Instead of the traditional wing-shaped logo, the letters KGM are engraved in black chrome material.

KG Mobility Actyon

The interior is completely new as well. First, when sitting in the driver's seat, the large panoramic display, which is currently trending, is immediately noticeable. A 12.3-inch cluster and a 12.3-inch central display are integrated into one unit. The central display is not simply arranged in a straight line but is slightly tilted toward the driver to make the navigation screen easier to view. However, the lack of physical buttons means all controls, including the air conditioning, must be operated via the touchscreen, which is a downside.

The steering wheel has a shape where the upper and lower parts of the grip are trimmed. This seems intended to avoid blocking the instrument panel. In the center, there are also shortcut buttons for auto hold and favorite items. The interior space is spacious. Both the first and second rows have ample headroom. Even a mid-170 cm adult male sitting in the rear seat had enough space to fit two fists between his knees and the front seat. The seat and interior design pursue an urban look. Both the first and second-row seats are finished with suede material around the headrests and shoulders, and the interior ambient lighting is set to a subtle color.

KG Mobility Actyon Interior

Unlike the macho tendencies of the past Actyon, the new model is optimized for everyday urban driving. It combines an eco-friendly 1.5L turbo gasoline engine with a 3rd generation Aisin 6-speed automatic transmission to produce a maximum output of 170 horsepower. Maximum torque is 28.6 kgf·m. Although acceleration performance at startup is improved by 10% compared to the previous engine, the output is somewhat modest relative to its size. Nevertheless, it was sufficient for city driving. Minimizing engine noise intrusion and equipping sound-absorbing Michelin tires are also advantages. Compared to the Torres, which uses the same powertrain, it showed a quieter and smoother ride. After driving about 60 km around Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, the fuel efficiency was 9.4 km per liter, slightly below the official rating of 10.1 km per liter.

The advanced semi-autonomous driving assistance system, 'Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC),' and Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) safety systems operated without issues. However, the lack of various convenience features is disappointing. For example, there is no memory function for seat angle settings, so adjustments must be made each time the driver changes. Features commonly found in recent SUVs, such as a sunroof and head-up display (HUD), are also missing. However, the price compensates for these shortcomings. The two released trims, S7 and S9, are priced at 33.95 million KRW and 36.49 million KRW, respectively. Except for seat color options, most functions are included as standard without the need for special options. This cost-effectiveness seems to reflect the ambition to compete with the Kia Sportage and Sorento, as well as Hyundai's Santa Fe and Tucson.