Ford Everest vs Kgm Actyon

What's the difference?

The standard Ford Everest – powered by a 2.0-litre twin-turbo or a V6 – is a nicely refined, comfortable and capable 4WD with plenty of potential as a touring vehicle.

The Tremor treatment doesn’t turn the Everest into a Raptor-esque Everest but it does offer low-key substantial off-road improvements to what was already an impressive 4WD wagon.

This sensible package of upgrades – more ground clearance, off-road-suited suspension, and decent all-terrain tyres – gives this Everest a mild 4WD boost.

Is all of the above enough to spur you into Actyon? It should be, or at least make your medium-SUV shortlist.

Bold styling, keen pricing, an inviting cabin, loads of space and an involving driving experience make the new KGM everything we wanted from but never really got from the old SsangYong.

A bit more torque, a little less thirst and a softer ride would make a surprisingly good family-friendly medium SUV a real crowd pleaser.

We’re looking forward to what else KGM has coming in the future.

Lift any vehicle a few millimetres and throw decent all-terrain tyres on it and that one-two combination instantly gives the vehicle more track-cred. 

And so it goes for the Everest Tremor.

But there’s more going on here than simply increased height and a swap-out of rubber over standard Everests.

As mentioned, it gets Bilstein dampers, new springs, and tough all-terrain tyres which combine to give the Tremor a solid presence.

The new honeycomb-pattern grille with auxiliary LED lights, quite visible steel bash plate, pronounced heavy-duty side steps and orange Tremor branding add to the package.

And inside it gets those Tremor-specific touches, such as the leather-accented seats embossed with Tremor branding, ebony-coloured interior accents and all-weather floor mats.

KGM currently sells no fewer than three medium-sized SUVs of roughly similar dimensions.

There’s the more-compact Korando (which arrived in 2020), the bigger and boxier Torres (released in 2024) and, of course, the new Actyon. While all sit on variations of the same monocoque-bodied platform, the newcomer benefits from additional development (and funds) under KGM ownership.

Not obvious unless viewed together, the Actyon is designed to be a sportier and more coupe-like take on the Torres, and is slightly lower at 1680mm as a result. But it’s also a bit longer at 4740mm and wider at 1920mm wide. Both share the same 2680mm wheelbase.

This may seem an extravagant niche for KGM to pursue, but it claims the original SsangYong Actyon (unveiled in 2005) beat the admittedly far-more influential BMW X6 by about three years, to become the world’s first productionised coupe-style SUV.

Whatever, today’s Actyon is a sleeker and perhaps prettier design than the Torres, with obvious Range Rover (Evoque, Velar) homages throughout, particularly when it comes to the lighting elements.

According to KGM, the grille’s lighting design is inspired by the four symbols found on the South Korean flag, representing heaven, earth, water and fire.

A nod to SsangYong’s reputation for tough, rugged vehicles are the controversial bonnet-mounted ‘handles’, a decent ground clearance rating of 206mm, squared-off wheel arches, unusually-wide C-pillars and clear Jeep Grand Cherokee overtones in the tail-light and other rear-end treatments.

What should be a visual mess seems to meld together cohesively regardless of influence, making the Actyon a distinctive, handsomely-offbeat design.

The Tremor cabin is a comfortably familiar interior – it’s functional and roomy and so scores well in terms of overall practicality.

Driver and front passenger have easy access to storage options, such as the centre console, cupholders, door pockets and a shelf for your everyday-carry stuff as well as charging points (wireless charger, USB and USB-C sockets).

There’s plenty of space for the driver and all passengers (front, second and third row), and the seats are supportive and comfortable, even in the third row.

While that pew is a straight-up-and-down set-up it still manages not to be a complete punishment for those passengers.

Those in the second row get a fold-down centre armrest, door pockets and map pockets as well as air con vents and controls.

The rear cargo area has standard Everest features – with cargo tie-down points and a 12-volt outlet.

A niggle, and one I’ve found in other new-generation Fords, is the multimedia system. It's a decent size with clear and crisp colours and is easy to operate, but I needed to repeatedly stab a finger onto the screen in order to work my way through menus and sub-menus to figure it all out.

My advice is get your head around all of the multimedia system’s functionality while the vehicle is stationary because, to me, some of the screen workings are counter-intuitive and it’s easier and safer to learn all of that while the vehicle is not moving.

Also, the fact some controls are on-screen and some are off it creates more than a little confusion.

Inside is where the Actyon really gets into its groove, as an impressive, thoughtfully engineered family-sized SUV.

Big doors open up nice and wide, revealing a welcoming interior, with a sense of space and airiness, aided by deep windows, large mirrors, a lofty driving position and – in our top-spec K60 test vehicle – the vast glassy sunroof above.

The sporty front seats look and feel fab, fit like a glove and offer plenty of adjustability for a broad range of backs and bottoms alike.

A chunky square-ish steering wheel is good to grip, and, along with the instrumentation’s distinctively angular graphics, gives off lots of BMW vibes.

In fact, it is clear that KGM has been inspired by its latest round of up-spec Kia, Hyundai and even Genesis compatriots when it comes to the Actyon’s fit, finish and presentation. There seems to be no concessions of quality or ambience in order to maintain the Actyon’s keen pricing, and that’s remarkable.

Especially as most things work so well.

Let’s take the 12.3-inch central display. No physical buttons are present, unfortunately, and that’s probably partly due to the modern, clean, horizontal look that today’s designs seem to adopt wholesale.

However, the difference here is that it does not quite suffer the same pitfalls as normal software-based, electronics-heavy set-ups.

Along the left side of the main screen border is a row of permanent fast keys for home, media and climate. Up the top of it is a tab for a temporary menu for fast access to driving modes, stop/start on/off, traction control, camera views, vehicle settings and general settings. While down the right-hand side of the screen border and close to the driver for easy access is a swipe-left tab for a detailed computerised climate-control display. This takes up one-third of screen real estate.

Sounds complicated but it is actually disarmingly intuitive. You're still prodding and swiping screens, and that’s always a potentially-dangerous distraction. But at least nothing is more than a double action away. And almost all functions are also accessible in a dedicated widget home screen. Handy.

Helpfully, KGM also provides a big, physical button on the steering wheel as a ‘favourites’ fast-key to whatever you use most. We set ours for direct drive mode access.

Meanwhile, all of the Actyon’s other main cabin functions, including the climate control, endless storage, twin USB-C ports, varying interior lighting and audio sound of adequate quality, operate without complaint.

Now, while the upper-level materials seem premium, cold and hard lower plastics beg to differ, yet they neither look nor smell cheap, so that’s a win.

But all these favourable first impressions don’t mean there isn’t any room for fixes in this South Korean family truckster.

At the very top of that list should be turfing out the very, very fiddly drive selector. Imitating Volvo’s infinitely more-effective toggle functionality, it needs two, three and even four stabs at selecting Drive or Reverse before engaging. This is a form of torture.

Running close behind is a multimedia system that needs at least 20 seconds to boot up on initial start-up. Not every time, just after a period of inactivity. Painfully slow, it’s also a hazard as the reversing camera won’t operate during this time! Fail.

Other annoyances include the lack of digital radio and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, meaning you’ll need a cord to access both via your smartphone. And finally, that C-pillar is a massive blind spot.

Meanwhile, out back, all the expected (but not always available in others) amenities are present, like air vents, twin USB-C ports, overhead grab handles, reading lights, coat hooks, a folding armrest with cupholders and an abundance of storage.

But there is also a shocking number of surprise and delight features, including electric front passenger seat adjustment – for slide and recline, adjustable backrest angles, outboard seat heaters, side window blinds, tablet holders incorporated into the back of the front headrests, shallow pockets for smartphone storage set within the larger map pockets, huge door pockets that can hold a 1.5-litre bottle and a back-row speaker-mute function for weary rear-seat travellers needing peace.

When parked, there’s enough space with the backrests dropped for a 180cm person to sleep flat on their back, highlighting the 1440 litres of cargo capacity, or an impressive 668L with all five seats up.

The only note here is that there is no luggage cover to hide valuables (or snooze underneath). Lucky the glass is all heavily tinted. Beneath the floor is a space-saver spare wheel, thankfully.

Overall, then, the Actyon’s cabin is a cavernous, classy and well-equipped affair.

If you love an underdog, you’ve come to the right place, because the Actyon – a portmanteau of action and young – is a minor player in a major league.

Medium-sized SUVs represent Australia’s largest automotive segment. So, to help get the ball rolling, even the ‘base’ K50 grade borders on bountiful.

Kicking off from $47,000, drive-away, you’ll find unexpected little luxuries like quilted leather and heated outboard seating front and back, powered and ventilated front seats, rear privacy glass, a heated steering wheel, multi-coloured ambient lighting, automatic walk-away locking, a powered tailgate (with motion sensors) and 20-inch alloys. Entry level, remember.

Plus, a space-saver spare wheel is fitted. Rural drivers thank you, KGM!

These come on top of most of the expected modern amenities, including climate control, embedded satellite navigation, a 12.3-inch touchscreen (alongside a same-sized electronic instrument display), wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, heated/powered folding mirrors, a reverse camera and parking sensors all around.

Thankfully, there’s also a decent wedge of advanced driver-assist safety, like autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-support systems and adaptive cruise control. More on those in the Safety section later on.

For an extra $3K, the K60, from $50,000, driveaway, adds a 360-degree-view camera, a panoramic sunroof with a solid shade (again, something Australians want), rear door blinds and a wireless phone charger.

But there are a few conspicuous omissions. No Actyon offers head-up instrumentation, digital radio, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto or the option of either a hybrid powertrain and/or all-wheel drive (AWD).

Still, from a value perspective, that’s a lot of kit for the cash. K60 money can’t buy you more than a basic RAV4 GX (albeit a hybrid), while you’re only at mid-grade Outlander LS, Sportage SX, Tucson Elite and X-Trail ST-L 2WD petrol.

And that’s not even taking in the Actyon’s extra length and girth that make this five-seater seem like it should offer a third row, or the very striking styling.

So far, so good.

As mentioned right at the start, the Everest Tremor has a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine – producing 184kW at 3250rpm and 600Nm at 1750-2250rpm – and that’s matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

It also gets the line-up’s full-time 4WD system. This system has selectable two-wheel drive (2H), four-wheel drive high-range (4H), four-wheel drive low-range (4L) and four-wheel drive automatic (4A = 4Auto) that sends drive to the front and rear axles as needed, and which can be safely used on high-traction surfaces, such as bitumen.

A familiar unit if you’re an existing Korando or Torres driver, the Actyon uses a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, direct-injection, turbo-petrol engine.

Delivering 120kW of power at 5400rpm and 280Nm of torque between 1500-4000rpm, it drives the front wheels only at this stage via a six-speed torque-converter auto supplied by Toyota-owned Aisin.

With a power-to-weight ratio of nearly 73kW per tonne, it falls behind the larger-capacity 2.5-litre non-turbo alternatives as found in the Mazda CX-5, but matches rival 2.0-litre non-turbo units as used in the Sportage and Tucson.

A trio of driving modes are offered – 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Winter' (to control traction in slippery conditions) – while a handy pair of paddle shifters allow for some manual-ratio manipulation, though it will still change up automatically rather than bounce on the rev-limiter.

The KGM also follows class convention in its double wishbone front and multi-link independent rear-suspension set-up, though it boasts higher-than-usual ground clearances for a front-drive medium-SUV that’s resolutely not an off-roader.

Towing capacity is rated at 1500kg with a braked trailer and 750kg unbraked.

The Tremor has the highest listed fuel consumption of the Everest line-up: 9.5L/100km on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

I recorded an average of 11.2L/100km on this test.

The Tremor has an 80-litre fuel tank so, going by my on-test fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 714km from a full tank.

Worth noting the Tremor requires AdBlue diesel-exhaust fluid.

Without even mild-hybrid-style electrification to help improve efficiency, how does the Actyon perform when it comes to fuel economy?

The official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) average consumption figure is 7.6L/100km with a CO2 emissions rating of 174g/km.

Which might not seem too bad, but remember this one likes to sip from the 95 RON premium petrol bowser. Filling the 50-litre tank should result in about 655km of range, on average.

So much for the theory. During our time with the Actyon, we recorded a disappointing 10.3L/100km – though it’s worth keeping in mind this included performance testing which tends to drain the tank a bit harder.

Overall, the Tremor is nice to drive on road. It’s quiet, refined and comfortable and the engine and transmission make a cluey, unstressed pairing.

However, the Tremor’s suspension – engineered to improve the vehicle’s off-road capability – is firm through sections of back-country bitumen and even mildly corrugated bush tracks. 

Also, this Everest’s all-terrain tyres don’t help ride quality or noise levels on sealed surfaces. But that’s no surprise and a very minor trade-off when the Tremor's potential as a touring vehicle is so high.

On the open highway at cruising speed, the Tremor exhibits all of the smooth-driving characteristics the Everest line-up is well known for.

It sits nicely on the road, that wide wheel track (a 30mm increase in width to 1650mm) gives it a solid stance and this V6 ute simply rumbles along.

So, how does it perform in 4WD territory? Well, it’s based on the Everest Sport, which is no off-road loser, so you’d assume the Tremor would do okay.

However, we all know if you assume, it makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'… but the Tremor has been engineered to outperform the standard Everest in the dirty stuff. Unsurprising spoiler alert, it does, but only marginally.

The Everest Tremor is 4914mm long (without the towbar hitch receiver; 4978mm with), 2015mm wide (mirrors in; 2207mm, mirrors out) and 1904mm high.

It has a 2900mm wheelbase and a listed kerb weight of 2550kg, the latter making it the heaviest Everest in the line-up. 

This is not a diminutive wagon but it has the smallest turning circle (11.65m) in the Everest range and its dimensions don’t hamper it in the bush.

As mentioned earlier, when you add running ground clearance to any off-roader its off-road performance will be improved. The Tremor has more ground clearance (255mm) than its stablemates but, as with any measurements provided by vehicle manufacturers (ground clearance, wading depth, towing capacities, etc), always regard those figures with a healthy degree of scepticism.

Wading depth is listed as 800mm and its off-road angles are in line with market rivals: for your reference, approach, departure and ramp-over angles are listed as 32, 26.8 and 23.9 degrees, respectively.

This wagon’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 offers plenty of torque across a broad rev range, the 10-speed auto is clever – no flip-flopping between ratios here – and you can use the manual shifter if you get the urge.

Low-range gearing is adequate and the Tremor has an electronic rear diff lock.

The Tremor has a variety of selectable on- and off-road drive modes, including 'Normal', 'Eco', 'Tow/Haul', 'Slippery', 'Mud/Ruts', 'Sand and Rock' and the Tremor-specific 'Rock Crawl' plus a locking rear diff.

These off-road driving modes are no substitute for track-worthy 4WD mechanicals but they help by adjusting engine, throttle, transmission, braking, traction and stability controls to suit the driving conditions. 

Off-road traction control is effective without being spectacular. There’s a bit too much wheelspin for my liking.

Off-road applications are displayed on screen – with driveline/diff lock indicators, steering, pitch and roll angles depicted. Hill descent control held the Tremor to a steady 3.0-4.0km/h as I crawled down a difficult slope.

The power steering, light and sporty in all scenarios, has been tweaked with a heavy-duty tune and it retains a confident feel in difficult conditions.

Heavy-duty off-road engineering has bolstered the suspension set-up with new springs and Bilstein dampers with external reservoirs.

Wheel travel – how far the axle can move up and down vertically wheel-to-wheel relative to the chassis – is slightly better than a standard Everest’s, with this wagon’s tyres stretching a little further than the regular version’s.

Again, as I mentioned earlier, by replacing an off-roader’s standard road-biased rubber with a set of decent all-terrain tyres its off-road capability will be improved. And that’s exactly what Ford has done.

The Tremor's General Grabber all-terrain tyres feature light-truck construction. They are grippy and very effective in dirt, loose gravel, slippery clay and the like.

There are a few niggles, though.

I’ve previously expressed annoyance at the auto transmission shifter – a kind of joystick on a light cycle of steroids and just as touchy. It’s especially finicky on bumpy terrain but it’s another Everest-based characteristic to which I’ve become somewhat accustomed.

The operation of some off-road driver-assist tech can be confusing as it’s divided between the rotary dial (to select drive modes) and the screen (to engage the rear diff lock etc). Not a deal-breaker, but it takes some getting used to.

The brake pedal is spongy – taking some time between initial foot pressure to ‘biting', but then the brakes – discs all around – do clamp into action.

As for packability, there is a listed 259 litres (VDA) of space in the rear-most cargo area (with all three rows of seats in use), 898L (VDA) when the third row is stowed away and 1823L (VDA) when the second and third rows are lowered.

The Everest Tremor has a listed payload of 690kg, and towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked).

It has a listed GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) of 3240kg and a GCM (Gross Combined Mass) of 6350kg. Remember: any onboard loads – such as people, pets, camping gear or aftermarket equipment (bullbar, roof rack etc) – must figure in your payload and GVM equations.

Okay, this the best-driving KGM ever. No shocks there, as this is the first model under the company’s new stewardship.

But it’s also the best SsangYong ever. Faint praise maybe, considering how off-road-biased and workhorse-like so many models were/still are, yet the Actyon can hold its head up high in more-sophisticated circles.

Not that pressing the starter button reveals that straight away.

With a dinky capacity and hefty, circa-1650kg mass to overcome, the 120kW/280Nm 1.5-litre turbo four needs plenty of revs to get going, meaning there’s a moment of initial lag before the speed starts piling on. Not great if you’re in a hurry. And it's pretty vocal to boot.

Essentially, the Actyon regularly has to work harder than larger-engined alternatives to achieve the same result. A quick power-to-weight calculation tells the story: 72.8kW/tonne versus 85.6kW/tonne for the 1578kg, 135kW/245Nm 2.5-litre Nissan X-Trail.

But, once on the move, there is a decent wad of torque for spirited acceleration as well as smooth throttle responses, and enough in reserve for sufficiently quick highway overtaking. We clocked 9.7 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint.

Three driving modes are offered – Normal, Sport and Winter. Sport holds on to the ratios for a big longer, and is best suited for open-road driving.

More torque wouldn’t go astray, though, especially when the car is fully laden.

And the six-speed auto transmission, whilst smooth, can also be slow to react to downshift requests. The abrupt and clumsy stop/start system doesn’t help when moving off the line again, either.

Things improve when on the move, aided by a handy set of paddle-shifters when you’re in the mood for some manual-mode ratio manipulation, though the software does upshift if you forget.

In the wet the KGM also feels planted. And though it does not take a lot to spin the sticky Michelin-shod front wheels, it remains composed. An AWD option would probably be a welcome addition to the range. 

You’d never call the Actyon a sports SUV, but there is a keenness to the chassis tune, reflected in the strong braking and positive steering – the latter being an absolute first for a SsangYong product.

Light enough around town to be easily manoeuvrable (with help from deep windows and surround-view cameras), it weights up nicely and consistently at speed without ever feeling too heavy, and provides just enough road grip and feedback so you can confidently push on knowing what the front wheels are doing. That’s all you can ask for in a family SUV.

Plus, the advanced driver-assist safety (ADAS) tech is pretty reigned in most times, only making itself unwelcome with occasional lane-keep assist wheel-tugging and drowsy-driver alert paranoia.

Thankfully, a quick swipe up on the multimedia screen will extinguish these and others quickly. 

Now, there’s a bit of body lean if you want to make your occupants car sick through tight corners, but a bigger problem is the Actyon’s busy/bouncy ride on anything other than smooth roads.

Blame the lack of suspension travel and standard 20-inch wheels, because they do not absorb enough of the bad stuff. 

It’s worse with one person, and the ride improves with more bodies on board, but a recalibration and perhaps smaller alloys or adaptive dampers need to be on KGM’s to-do list. It’s the only dynamic blot. Our advice is to try this on your regular commute route before you buy.

Speaking of blotting things out, the Michelin tyres’ noise-reduction abilities seem to work, and impressively at times, though adding the missing rear luggage cover might be a more-effective sound barrier over Australian coarse bitumen highways.

Still, the Actyon is neither dull nor tiring to drive. And for a new brand offering a value SUV challenger proposition, that’s better than most nowadays. 

And speaking of challenging, how does the KGM newcomer behave in independent crash testing?  

We can’t tell you, because at the time of recording, no results had been released. So, there is no ANCAP rating.

But the KGM looks like it can deliver the goods, offering a host of advanced driver-assist safety systems, including AEB, blind-spot warning, lane-keep assist and rear cross-traffic alert. And it's worth noting this tech is mercifully unintrusive (see the Driving section).

Eight airbags are also fitted (including a front-centre and full head/curtain coverage), along with adaptive cruise control, high-beam assist, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitors and LED daytime running lights.

Last, but not least, a pair of ISOFIX child-seat latch points and a trio of hooks for tether straps are fitted across the rear seat.

The Tremor is covered by Ford’s five year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is the standard for this part of the market.

Roadside assistance is complimentary for 12 months after each service, extended for up to seven years as long as the Tremor’s owner has it serviced at an authorised Ford dealership.

Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km and a capped-price servicing plan applies to the first five years/75,000km with a $2550 cost attached ($510 per service).

For reference a comparable Toyota LandCruiser Prado will set you back $390 per workshop visit, but that car's service interval is more frequent at six months/10,000km.

Owners also experience the peace of mind of a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, as well five years of roadside assistance, which is better than most rivals in 2025.

Service intervals are at every 12 months or 15,000km, with alternating capped pricing of $338 or $442 per annum for the duration of those seven years.

Clearly, with such a competitive aftersales program, KGM is gunning for a firmer foothold in the most fiercely fought family SUV segment in Australia.