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Expert Review

KGM Actyon (2025 - ) review

The new KGM Actyon SUV blends coupe-inspired styling with a spacious and well-equipped interior for a sub-£40,000 starting price

Tom Roberts

Words by: Tom Roberts

Published on 27 January 2025 | 0 min read

The Auto Trader expert verdict:

3.5

Available new from £36,995

A reimagining of the original KGM Actyon launched in 2005, the 2025 model wraps all of the features and technology you’d expect to find in a modern SUV into a five-seater, coupe-inspired body powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine. Its starting price and single, equipment-packed trim level makes it a simple vehicle to compare against competitors. It feels like the Actyon should be able to carve out its own niche as an alternative to the popular KIA Sportage and Nissan Qashqai, but its higher fuel consumption figures might prove to be a hurdle for potential drivers, even with its slightly lower retail price.

Reasons to buy:

  • tickComfortable and spacious
  • tickQuiet 1.5-litre petrol engine
  • tickSingle equipment-packed trim level

At a glance:

2025 KGM Actyon

Running costs for a KGM Actyon

The quoted 33.1mpg WLTP 'combined' fuel consumption figure looks a little ambitious given we only got 28mpg
The Actyon's single prices comes in at a few thousand less than a KIA Sportage and will be easy to break down with finance or on a good lease deal, although be aware that the first year of tax will be high with its CO2 emissions rating of 191g/km. As for petrol costs, the quoted 33.1mpg WLTP 'combined' fuel consumption figure looks a little ambitious given we only got 28mpg on a test loop of town and country roads. For context competing vehicles with similar powertrains, such as the Nissan Qashqai list official figures of around 40mpg.
Expert rating: 3/5
2025 KGM Actyon

Reliability of a KGM Actyon

KGM has a good reputation for creating reliable personal and commercial vehicles, with the Actyon’s five-year/100,000-mile warranty demonstrating the company’s confidence in its new vehicle
Being an all-new version of the Actyon, it’s too early to judge the vehicle’s reliability beyond highlighting that a five-year/100,000-mile warranty is not only good peace of mind for a potential buyer, it also shows how confident KGM is in its vehicle and manufacturing process. Service intervals are every 12 months or every 10,000 miles, whichever comes first, and as an extra layer of support KGM provides 12 months of RAC Roadside Assistance cover with every new Actyon - just in case.
Expert rating: 3/5
2025 KGM Actyon

Safety for a KGM Actyon

The Actyon feels safe to drive and is easy to manoeuvre thanks to its ample safety systems and a notably excellent reversing camera and 3D display.
While not yet NCAP rated, the Actyon is equipped with plenty of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). A notable inclusion is the three-dimensional, 360-degree 'surround view' monitoring system, which is very helpful for tighter parking spaces and manoeuvring - we found it clear and easy to use. The key safety systems include Lane Keep Assist, Driver Attention Alert, Front Vehicle Start Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Warning, Blind Spot Detection, Safety Exit Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, a full complement of air bags, ISOFIX on the rear seats and seat belt reminders. All safety systems are included on every Actyon as standard in its single trim level, which we appreciate
Expert rating: 4/5
2025 KGM Actyon

How comfortable is the KGM Actyon

Every Actyon is as comfortable as the next, with the single K50 model specification offering drivers and passengers enough room and little luxury touches within arm’s reach.
KGM says it is aiming for “luxury and comfort” inside the new Actyon. The single trim level - K50 - features hand-stitched black Nappa leather seats with red inserts, and surrounds the driver with suede, TPU-wrapped door trims, carbon fibre, dark wooden finishes and a glowing crystal drive selector switch. The car comes with noise-cancelling Michelin tyres, laminated front door glass, and a dual 12.3-inch digital cluster and infotainment display behind a newly-designed steering wheel. This provides a clearer view of the instrument cluster behind it than than we've seen in other KGM SUVs, featuring quick-access buttons and a customisable ‘favourites’ switch for quick access to commonly used functions. An internal ambient mood lighting system uses 32 different colours to allow the driver to create a personalised internal atmosphere – a nice touch, although it was hard to feel the full effect in daylight. The rear seats are generous in size with ample leg room and a fold-out armrest available if the centre seat isn’t in use. The rear seats can also recline 32.5 degrees, are heated, and the occupants of those seats have access to USB-C charging ports, rear window blinds, and front-seat mounted phone holders. While dropping the rear seats allows you to increase the boot space and load length significantly, the standard 668 litres available is more than that offered by competing SUVs.
Expert rating: 4/5
2025 KGM Actyon

Features of the KGM Actyon

The Actyon’s single trim level means you get everything included as standard - the only optional extra available is metallic paint!
We were told that the name ‘Actyon’ comes from ‘Act Young’ and ‘Act On’, with the marketing material informing us that this vehicle is all about “encouraging drivers to chase their dreams and embark on new adventures with confidence”. So, if that's the intention you can see why the decision to manufacture it in just the one trim level - K50 - made sense to KGM. Anyone who chooses to drive an Actyon gets the same car for one simple price - the company wants to make it a no-brainer to buy one. That’s why it has a dual 12.3-inch digital cluster and infotainment display with TomTom navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and a full vehicle information and settings suite with no walled-off options. It’s why you get 20-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, the distinctive dynamic daytime running lights sweeping across the front of the vehicle, ambient mood lights, a glowing crystal drive selector switch, reclining heated rear seats and a massive boot. It's why the vehicle can tow 500kg un-braked and 1500kg braked. It's trying hard to be every type of SUV rolled into one - a hardy off-roader, a straight-up family car, and a snazzy city runner. We like the ambition of that approach, and the single trim certainly makes comparing it to similar vehicles very easy.
Expert rating: 4/5
2025 KGM Actyon

Power for a KGM Actyon

The Actyon’s 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine is quiet, but the automatic gearbox feels far more comfortable in higher gears
Powering the Actyon is a 1.5-litre G-Di turbocharged petrol engine delivering 163 horsepower and a 0-62mph time of 10 seconds. This is paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox providing responsive performance, but is clearly happier at higher speeds, sometimes tripping over itself as your speed drops and it cycles down to the lower ratios. Our test loops saw us driving on town and country roads, and while it never seriously faltered there were a few times we felt the gearbox didn’t quite pick the right gear. Other than that, we found the Actyon to be a pleasant vehicle to drive with enough power to get up to speed and away from stops.
Expert rating: 3/5