Kgm Actyon vs GWM Cannon

What's the difference?

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.

The GWM Cannon XSR is a twin-locked 4WD ute that’s reasonable on-road (it’s getting better all the time) and very capable off-road.

It certainly has enough gear onboard – including front and rear diff locks, a snorkel and all-terrain tyres – to be taken seriously as a 4WD, but it could still be better and more refined in other aspects, even at this price-point.

There are some issues with the Cannon’s general driveability but ultimately it has plenty going for it, not least its appeal as an impressive value-for-money purchase.

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 XSR is 5439mm long (with a 3230mm wheelbase), 1958mm wide and 1893mm high. Official kerb weight is listed as 2230kg.

This is a substantial ute that resembles an amalgamation of Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and Toyota HiLux.

The wide wheel track gives the XSR a squat stance and its snorkel, sports bar, bash plates, chunky all-terrain tyres and red brake calipers add to this ute’s presence.

Inside, a steering-wheel design tweak (it’s now three spokes) and refreshed dashboard layout help to give the cabin a low-key classy look and feel.

It may lack the all-around polish of something like the Ford Ranger, but the XSR’s much lower price negates that perception.

The XSR holds its own in the looks department across the dual cab ute category.

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.

The XSR’s five-seat interior is neat and spacious but there are parts, such as some buttons, dials and switches, that feel a bit flimsy and cheap.

Up front there are two USB ports, a wireless charging pad, a 12V plug and a deep centre console.

The new 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and has been improved by increments.

The front seats are power adjustable (driver’s six-way, passenger four-way) and both are comfortable without being too plush.

Second-row passengers get a firm but comfortable seat and amenities include USB charge ports, a 220V plug, air vents, and a fold-down centre armrest (with cupholders). There’s plenty of head, knee and legroom, unless you’re stuck in the middle where knee and foot room is pinched.

The second-row seat base can be folded out of the way to make room for more gear if no one’s in the back seat.

The second-row seat has top-tether points and there are ISOFIX anchors on the outboard seats.

The XSR’s load space (1520mm long, 1520mm wide and 540mm deep) has a durable tub liner, four tie-down points, as well as a pop-out step hidden in the top of the tailgate, and a step-up indent at each corner of the rear bumper.

This Cannon offers just as much all-round practicality and load-space flexibility as the likes of Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota HiLux.

The XSR is the top-spec variant in the Cannon line-up and as such has a price-tag of $50,990, drive-away (offered nationwide).

Standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels, a chrome sports bar, automatic LED headlights, spray-in tubliner, keyless entry, leather-accented upholstery, 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), a six-way power-adjustable driver's seat and four-way power-adjustable front-passenger seat, ambient lighting, a black sports bar and matt black exterior trim.

Exterior paint choices for the XSR include the standard 'Pearl White', or 'Crystal Black', 'Lunar Red', 'Stealth Grey', 'Sapphire Blue' and 'Pittsburgh Silver'.

This Cannon compares favourably to rivals such as the Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota HiLux, in terms of standard features offered for the price.

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 new 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine produces 135kW at 3600rpm and 480Nm at 1500-2500rpm. It's tractable and well suited to the demands of 4WDing.

Don’t get me wrong, the previous-gen Cannon’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (120kW/400Nm) was no slouch, either. It’s just that this bigger and more powerful engine is better.

The new engine can easily muster more than enough power and torque on- and off-road when needed. However, there are enough instances of substantial lag at crucial moments – punching off the mark from a complete stop to safely merge into traffic, for example – that when compounded threaten to mar the overall driving experience.

Another thing. The automatic transmission, now a nine- rather than eight-speed, while generally okay, proves patchy in daily driving, not upshifting as slickly as it should and sometimes hunting for the sweet spot, rather than hitting it.

In terms of all-round powertrain performance, the XSR is on par with four-cylinder, turbo-diesel rivals such as the Ford Ranger 2.0L (125kW/405Nm), Isuzu D-Max 2.2L (120kW/400Nm), Mitsubishi Triton 2.4L (150kW/470Nm) and Toyota HiLux 2.8L (150kW/500Nm).

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.

Listed fuel consumption is 8.4L/100km on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle, which is better than the 9.4L/100km offered by the previous 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and eight-speed auto.

I recorded on-test fuel consumption of 10L/100km which is ahead of the 11.2L/100km I recorded in a Cannon XSR with the 2.0-litre four and eight-speed.

The XSR has an 78-litre tank, so, going by my on-test fuel figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 780km from a full tank of diesel.

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. 

As noted above, there are some issues with the Cannon’s general driveability, but all in all it’s not atrocious. And if it’s a potential buy for you, you’ll always come back to the value-for-money rationale.

On- and off-road, the new engine has plenty of punch about it, but patchy delivery through the transmission sometimes works against it.

It’s a not a dynamic vehicle. No surprise, it’s a ute after all. But that point has to be made here because some people still drive these vehicles expecting sports car-like ride and handling.

The good news is the XSR’s touchy throttle and too-loose steering of days gone by have been mostly sorted out. But its thrashy transmission, stiff ride and unwieldy 13.7m turning circle remain.

Its bigger engine doesn’t carry over the previous-gen’s underdone feeling when pushed hard and it has a relaxed feel when you’re cruising along on the highway.

Some concerns have been raised over the years about driver-assist tech in Chinese-built vehicles. To the company’s credit, GWM seems to have addressed those issues… at least to some extent.

Suffice it to say, I’ve experienced a few tricky situations as a result of driver-assist tech in GWM vehicles. From annoyingly intrusive traffic sign recognition and jarring adaptive cruise control through to one particularly hair-raising AEB-related incident. (For more, read my yarn)

Overall, the XSR remains okay on sealed surfaces, but it’s not as refined or compliant as it could or should be.

As for off-roading…

On dirt tracks the XSR is jittery over corrugations and tends to thump through deeper potholes. Otherwise it is reasonably composed.

But with twin differential locks, decent underbody protection and Cooper Discoverer AT3 all-terrain tyres, this Cannon handles low-range 4WDing with ease.

The new bigger engine delivers on promised grunt in the dirt, giving the Cannon plenty of punch when the going gets tough.

Ground clearance of 228mm, wading depth of 700mm and off-road angles of 30 degrees (approach) and 26 degrees (departure; rampover is not listed) don’t hurt its 4WDing potential, either.

Off-road traction control and other driver-assist systems including hill descent control are adequate without being as smooth as the equivalent systems in more expensive vehicles.

It has 'Crawl Mode' (allowing for no-pedal, low-speed driving) and 'Turn Assist' (which brakes the XSR’s inside rear wheel to reduce the ute’s turning circle on traction-compromised surfaces).

While 4WDing, swapping between high- and low-range, changing off-road modes or switching diff locks on or off has been at times a clunky process, with the transition taking on a feeling not unlike shunting trains. No big deal, I reckon, but worth mentioning.

Wheel travel is adequate and this ute’s Cooper Discoverer AT3 all-terrain tyres perform well in the dirt and mud.

The Cannon XSR has towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked trailer) and 3000kg (braked).

All in all, off-roading is the one area in which the Cannon eclipses something like the BYD Shark 6 or Kia Tasman and matches, if not bests the Ford Ranger.

All GWM Cannons, except the 'untested' XSR, have had the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating since 2021.

Standard safety gear on the XSR includes seven airbags (dual front, front centre, front side and full-length side curtain), AEB (with cyclist and pedestrian detection), adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, traffic sign recognition, rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera and tyre-pressure monitoring.

The top-spec XSR misses out on emergency lane keeping, rear collision warning, blind spot monitor, lane change assist, and rear cross traffic alert (with braking).

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.

The XSR is covered by a seven-year/unlimited km warranty and five years of free roadside assistance.

The first service is scheduled at the 12 month/10,000km mark, then services are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km.

Capped price servicing is available and for a Cannon with a warranty start date on or after January 1, 2026, the costs are $365, $470, $515, $520, and $685 per service. That’s a total of $2555 (and an average of $511 per workshop visit), which is more expensive than some of the Cannon’s rivals on the market.