MODEL ON TEST: K40 AUTOMATIC – MILEAGE – 1,834

If I had a pound for every time I’ve been asked whether the Torres is “one of those Chinese things”, I’d be writing this from a beach in Barbados. But that tells me two things: Firstly, buyers are interested enough in the way the KGM looks to ask the question, and secondly, they’re all quite surprised when I tell them it’s actually South Korean.

Now, I’m not exactly against Chinese cars – they have their place, and some of them are very good – but I tend to approach them with a degree of scepticism, and I’m heartened to see the general public doing the same thing.

When you tell people the KGM Torres EVX is in fact South Korean, you can almost see their attitudes soften, and that’s why I think cars like this are so important. Yes, it’s a budget alternative to the likes of the Škoda Enyaq and Volkswagen ID.4, but it’s tasked with proving China isn’t the only place to find a decent cut-price electric SUV.

Putting its best foot forward in this task, KGM has kindly supplied us with a top- of-the-range K40 model, which offers all the kit you can think of for a competitive £39,295 – £2,300 more than the basic K30. That said, our test car does come with an optional paint colour that’ll set you back an extra £750, taking the list price over the £40,000 mark. By way of a comparison, the basic Škoda Enyaq starts at £39,520 and has a smaller battery and less standard equipment. But importantly for private buyers, the Enyaq qualifies for the Electric Car Grant which the KGM doesn’t.

KGM has stacked out the Torres EVX, fitting a 73.4kWh battery to every variant, and providing an official range of 287 miles in the process. It also gets a single electric motor sending 204bhp to the front wheels, and a kit list that includes a massive touchscreen, heated and ventilated seats, and a reversing camera. The basic Enyaq, meanwhile, gets fractionally less standard equipment and a slightly smaller range, and let’s not forget the Torres EVX comes with a seven-year/90,000-mile warranty.

Naturally, though, price and equipment aren’t the only considerations for customers, and during its time with us, the EVX has to prove its worth as a long- distance cruiser, an urban runabout, and a family SUV, not to mention its convenience as an all-electric vehicle.

Generally speaking, the early signs are good. A real-world motorway range of around 240 miles has been proven time and time again, despite a heatwave that has caused plentiful exploitation of the climate control and ventilated seats – neither of which can do the car’s efficiency all that much good. And while the car’s shortcomings in the handling department have already been documented, the seats and cabin are comfortable enough and the big boot is incredibly useful. Even the 120kW maximum DC charging capability, which doesn’t look great on paper, is fine in the real world. The 2.2kW on-board AC charge speed is a disappointment, though, and it means charging at home using a three-pin plug takes ages.

Still, with decent efficiency allowing a medium-sized battery to provide strong real-world range, capping the charge at 80% allows vaguely acceptable domestic charge times, while still offering about 200 miles of motorway range, which is enough for most journeys. And when I have found that range getting a bit too short for comfort, a 15-minute charge at the motorway services is usually enough to get home comfortably.

All in all, then, first impressions are of a competent – albeit totally unspectacular – family SUV that’s decent value and perfectly adequate for most. But will a few months of familiarity expose the reasons why customers aren’t choosing one of these over a Jaecoo or a Geely? Because the go-to excuse of brand familiarity doesn’t exactly wash alongside those newcomers.

JAMES FOSSDYKE

WHAT’S HOT: Torres EVX offers strong real-world range and ample space for relatively little outlay.

WHAT’S NOT: Pathetic 2.2kW maximum AC charge speed means topping up at home is a lengthy process.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT:

12.3-inch digital instruments, 20-inch alloy wheels with Nexen Roadian GTX 245/45 R20 tyres and tyre repair kit, 60/40 split/fold rear seats, Adaptive cruise control, Alarm system, Ambient lighting, Anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist, Auto-dimming rear-view mirror, Automatic headlights, Autonomous emergency braking, Blind spot detection, DAB radio with 12.3-inch touchscreen, navigation, 6-speakers, voice control and steering wheel controls, Drive mode selector, Driver drowsiness detection, Driver, passenger, side, head and driver’s knee airbags with passenger side de-activation, Dual-zone climate control, Electric and heated mirrors with power folding, Electric front seats, Electric park brake with auto hold, Electric tailgate with hands free functionality, Electric windows front and rear, Electronic stability programme with traction control, Emergency e-call system, Heated and ventilated front seats, Heated rear seats, Heated steering wheel, Hill descent control, Hill start assist, ISOFIX child seat safety fasteners for rear outer seats, Keyless entry and start, Lane departure warning system, Lane keeping assist, Leather steering wheel, Leather upholstery, LED daytime running lights, LED headlights with adaptive high beam assist, LED rear lights, Parking sensors front and rear, Rain sensing windscreen wipers, Rear cross traffic alert, Rear privacy glass, Reversing camera, Roof rails, Safe exit warning system, Trailer stability programme, Traffic sign recognition, Tyre pressure monitors, Wireless Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth smartphone compatibility and Wireless smartphone charger

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT FITTED TO TEST CAR:

Iron Silver metallic paint (£750)

FACTS & FIGURES

PRICE: (NEW) £39,295

PRICE: (AS TESTED) £40,045

ELECTRIC CAR GRANT ELIGIBLE? No

COLOUR: Iron Silver metallic

BUILT IN: Pyeongtaek, South Korea

CODENAME: U100

GENERATION: 1

PLATFORM: Unknown

BODYSTYLE: 5-door SUV, 5-seats

LAYOUT: Front-wheel drive

POWERPLANT: Single electric motor and 73.4kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack

GEARBOX: 1-speed automatic

MAX POWER: 152kW/204bhp/207ps

MAX TORQUE: 250lb ft/339Nm

TOP SPEED: 109mph

0-62MPH: 8.1secs

CO2 EMISSIONS: 0g/km

ECONOMY: (COMBINED) 3.9 miles/kWh

ECONOMY: (ON TEST) 3.4 miles/kWh

RANGE: (COMBINED) 287 miles

RECHARGE TIME:
AC 11kW (0-100%) 9 hours
AC 100kW (10-80%) 37 minutes
DC 350kW (10-80%) 28 minutes

INSURANCE GROUP: 48

BIK RATE: (2026/2027 TAX YEAR) 4%

SIZE: (LENGTH/WIDTH WITHOUT MIRRORS/HEIGHT/ WHEELBASE) 4,715/1,890/1,725/2,680mm

BOOT SPACE: (MIX/MAX) 839/1,662litres

KERB WEIGHT: 1,915kg

TOWING WEIGHT: 1,500kg

EURO NCAP RATING: Not yet tested

SPARE WHEEL: (FULL-SIZE/SPACESAVER/RUN-FLAT/ SELF-SEALING/REPAIR KIT) No/no/no/no/yes

WARRANTY: 7 years/90,000 miles

DATE ARRIVED: 23rd June 2026

COSTS: None

FAULTS: None