KGM Actyon is first model of rebranded SsangYong company

You may remember a Korean brand called SsangYong which appeared in the Malaysia market in the 1990s with SUV models like the Korando and Musso, the latter developed with assistance from Mercedes-Benz. The company, which had a history dating back to 1939, drew on its association with the German automaker to try to move upmarket with more premium products like Chairman (which was adapted from an E-Class platform).

Malaysians will remember the Rexton well as it sold in large numbers and was also assembled locally. SsangYong Malaysia put in a lot of effort to develop the brand but unfortunately, financial problems led to the brand changing owners a few times and it lost its momentum in Malaysia and faded away after 2012.

SsangYong was owned by Daewoo, China’s SAIC and Mahindra & Mahindra at various, with each owner finding it too challenging to revive the company which nevertheless seemed to continue business in some markets despite being in receivership.

In 2022, KG Group, a Korean industrial company made a big investment in the company and became its majority owner, renaming it KGM. Under this new owner, things have been looking better and it has now unveiled its first vehicle, the Actyon.

The Actyon name might be familiar to some as SsangYong Malaysia imported it as a pick-up truck in 2007. It was an aggressive looking truck with a distinctive front end, and SsangYong Malaysia tried to position it as a premium truck… perhaps ahead of its time. Later on, a SUV variant was also imported.

The all-new Actyon is available only as a SUV and its design is a revival of the original Actyon which was the world’s first coupe SUV. For this new generation, the designers have been inspired by shapes and motifs inspired by the Korean flag to convey a powerful image and showcase KGM’s compelling and unique identity. They also enhance Actyon’s bold body stance and overall strong, voluminous feel.

Inside, the Actyon’s cabin presents a luxurious image with premium black quilted Nappa leather seats, red stitching, and quality soft-touch suede material on the door panels. There’s also a mix of carbonfibre and woodgrain finishes, complemented by ambient mood lighting for personalisation.

Though coupe-styled, the cabin is voluminous and has a generous 668 litres of cargo space, which expands to 1,568 litres with the rear seats folded down.

For power, the Actyon has a 163 ps 1.5-litre direct injection turbocharged petrol engine which generates 280 Nm of torque. The powertrain is paired with a 3rd generation Aisin 6-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel paddle shifters.

Shipments have left the factory in Korea and some markets will be selling the new model from next month. In Australia, it will be available in 2 versions, priced from A$47,000 (about RM128,000).