test drives

By Tim Saunders

No sooner has the KGM Torres arrived and an Asian hornet… scary… decides to perch itself on the bumper, for quite some time. We discover they eat bees and the car is parked next to a beautiful lavender bush full of them. It’s enough to make my son Henry (8) rush inside and shut the door and windows. Thankfully we don’t see this insect again. On another occasion, as I’m about to reverse off the driveway, another insect, we think it’s a Maybug flies at the vehicle and promptly rests underneath the windscreen wipers. Try as we might to shoo it off it does not want to leave. Apparently these insects are common in this part of the world between May and July. When the car was delivered it had been valeted. Could it be the scented polish that attracts these insects or do they simply like the Torres?

Anyway, striking design is vital for a vehicle to stand out from the crowd. This is something that KGM has carefully considered with its new Torres SUV. The company, formerly known as Ssangyong, has crafted a car that looks sufficiently different to catch the attention. I don’t know of any other SUV that has grab handles on the bonnet or a grille in the style of the Torres. It even has a daring dash of red on it. Finished in black with its privacy glass, externally it reminds me of a smaller version of an American SUV, such as one you might find in the President’s cavalcade. The cut of the side windows remind me of the old Land Rovers or may be even a Hummer.

Inside it fits five occupants with ease and the boot is pretty big, large enough for the luggage we need for a weekend away in Cheltenham. The interior is black and the black leather seats are fairly comfortable. I like the bronze effect around the dash and this is followed through with the choice of thread on the upholstery. The centre console seems to control most things: temperature, radio, sat nav. This is frustrating for me. In older/other vehicles climate control is independent so you don’t have to wait for the technology to load up.

It’s quite a lethargic vehicle, especially when using the intelligent cruise control. If it comes up to a slower vehicle which forces the car to slow down from say 70 to 60mph and you then move out to overtake, it takes too long to regain that 10mph meaning that it has to be overridden. There are paddleshifts either side of the steering wheel but the problem for me is that this isn’t a very efficient vehicle - with a range of around 340 miles per tank - which is about 30 to 40mpg depending on driving style. So therefore I am not minded to be heavy on the throttle.

As a family bus it does its job competently but I must complain about the sat nav, which in my experience is terrible. It seems to enjoy overcomplicating a route and as a result wasting fuel. Punching in the postcode to find a pre-booked parking space through yourparkingspace.co.uk takes us all round the back streets of Cheltenham when it doesn’t need to. It does the same again when returning home via Oxford where it keeps insisting on taking us in the wrong direction. It repeatedly speaks of roundabouts where there aren’t any and the volume is too low and I can’t figure out how to increase it. All of which results in it being a very frustrating system that I feel is best left alone. It causes no end of arguments between my wife and I, which is not what I need when I’m meant to be relaxing.

Facts at a glance

By Tim Saunders

I have fond memories of driving the Volkswagen Passat two-litre diesel estate - some ten years ago now - because the acceleration was so impressive and the gearbox so smooth. The engine felt as if it would just go on and on. It was a joy to drive. I’m reminded of this as I sit in the Nissan X-Trail SUV. This is a much taller vehicle and probably a bit longer too because it accommodates up to seven occupants. It only has a 1.5-litre petrol engine. So I am pleasantly surprised when I put my foot down and hear the smooth note of the engine as it revs higher and higher through the gears. It’s just like that Passat. Yet it’s 500cc smaller and only has three cylinders, so Nissan has added a little turbo to enhance performance, which adds fun to the proceedings. The only thing is that if you’re too eager when driving this two wheel drive there is wheel spin, which is noticeable when pulling out of a side road or a roundabout. Nought to sixty in under 10 seconds and a top speed of 124mph while returning over 40mpg. Not bad though.  

It looks pretty cool, too, finished in a striking dark grey, slightly darker than the shade used by Volvo. I like it. There was a time when black was the preferred finish for many but this is a definite improvement in my book. The rear privacy glass contrasts nicely against this, too.

We all love the panoramic glass roof, which incorporates a tilt/slide electric sunroof, although Caroline finds that when this is open fully the sun catches her right on the head and burns her, so we have to close it. During the time of the test the pollen count is high and I really appreciate the air conditioning, which soothes my sore eyes and general stuffiness. The seats are comfy, we like the interesting use of fabrics and are surprised to find brown on the dashboard and on the doors inserts. You don’t find brown in many cars these days. It reminds me of my ‘80s childhood when this colour was inside both my parents’ Vauxhall Carlton and Belmont.  

The X-Trail is a family vehicle through and through and my two youngest: Heidi (11) and Henry (8) thoroughly enjoy sitting in that third row of seats; Henry preferring to clamber through the boot to get to his throne. Harriett (13) enjoys the peace and quiet of the middle row, which can be helpfully moved forward – so it’s a good way of splitting them up during a fraught and hectic half-term that has seen them having swimming lessons first thing each day and which has tired them out. Then Henry is worried about a forthcoming football tournament, which results in challenging behaviour to say the least. However, long car journeys help to calm him. We go to Bournemouth to collect a dressing table that Heidi has found online and it fits in the sizeable boot perfectly. Returning from our trip to the beach at East Wittering one sunny Sunday we are met with a closed M27 and have to divert a very long way via Petersfield back home. But we don’t really mind because it’s a chance for an extended drive that allows us to savour the beautiful Hampshire countryside. Another excursion is to the tip with bags of garden waste that are easily fitted into the boot. Yes, the X-Trail is a very capable vehicle indeed.