[Consumerwide_ HueSoung, Jun Reporter / Yohan, Bok Reporter] 'Torres' proved himself as a Relief Pitcher of Ssangyong.

On 15th of July, he towed records of Ssangyong Cars by selling 2,752 cars in 2 weeks, soon after launch. As a result, the amount of sold production was over 6000 during 8 months starting from November,2021 (6777)  in the Korean market. (increased 7.9% in comparison to the same month last year) Currently, Torres has recorded 50 thousand. Ssangyong factories in PyeongTaek have been running 24 hours(2-shift) since 11th of July for mass production.

What attracts people to Torres? I took a test-drive for curiosity. The writer tried on the Torres Iron Metal (Khaki interior) T7 model (30million 200 thousand won). Add-on options are made of 4WD (2 million won), Knees airbag(200 thousand won), Deep control package(1 million won), Side step(450 thousand won), Side storage box(300 thousand won), High deluxe package(one million 700 thousand won), Two toned exterior package(400 thousand won). Total production costs 36 million 250 thousand won.

 Design, appearance of Torres...Ssangyong made it!

The front part of Torres captures attention. Radiator grille with vertically aligned short and repetitive lattice model, all-in-one bumper skid plate, and LED head lamp (an exterior lens/ clean-type) being connected to Radiator grille, passes on more than a strength, a charisma.

The back part leaves an impression as well. The rear garnish, wearing a form of spare tire in a Haxagon shape, reminds me of the back of an old Korando. The tail lamp stood up. Yi, one of four gwe trigrams (Geon, Gon, Gam, Yi) on Taegeukgi goes along with the back design.

The side storage box with the C-Pillar is remarkable. It is only on the C-Pillar on the passenger seat. The box can open and close with a key. There was a small space when I opened it. The side interior seemed solid. The inside of the car was larger than expected. The 2nd row had enough leg room for a man.

The steering wheel, designed in the Korean letter "ㅁ", captures eyes the most. The square shape wasn't uncomfortable at all. But, it has expanded views, now it is so easy to see the instrument panel. The instrument panel is in the shape of a long rectangle. Square cut steering wheel, is an amazing outcome. If it was a steering wheel in a circle, it would have blocked the dashboard. It is intuitively designed. All the essential information  is easily found; navigation indication, car mode, velocity mode, driving record.

The center fascia has two digital panels. The upper panel controls (12.3 inch/large screen infoconn AVN) navigation, music, vehicle information. The down panel (8inch buttonless digital integrated control panel) controls over ventilation, car seat heater, combination driving mode, airconditioning unit, smart tailgate, auto hold. Touch panel technologies are applied instead of physical buttons. It felt like future-oriented in refined manners.

The gear selector is  a knob type. Some may prefer Button·Rotary Gear. But I love it. The center console box contains the air purifier. Fresh air is guaranteed while driving.

The escape kit, which is a combination of an emergency rescue kit and an emergency light, was noticeable. The escape kit is placed in the door pocket of the driver's seat. I was impressed by the thoughtful idea of Ssangyong.

The trunk space is as large as 703 liters. You probably can store 4 golf bags, 4 Boston bags, and a travel carrier. When the 2nd row seat is folded, it is about 1662 liters. It is possible to use it for camping.

Beyond performance, great satisfaction, a test-ride tells everything.

Let's check out driving capability and ride comfort. Sitting in the driver's seat, I activated the ventilation seat. Placing gear on the drive, stepping on the accelerator, Torres begun a gentle move. Driving was stable on congested roads. ISG (Idle Stop and Go), which stops engines for traffic signal wait, saved fuels.

Torres started to show real colors when we approached the highway. When I stepped on the accelerator, Torres immediately responded. The driving capacity of the 1.5ℓ turbo gasoline engine (e-XGDi150T) and 6 speed automatic transmissions (Aisin 3rd generation) was incredible. It wasn't lacking strength. The shift(gear) time was smooth. The engine was quiet at higher speeds.  The car emitting sound and (500hz) road surface noise weren't bad. But, the road surface vibration was felt slightly as much as to interrupt comfort.

It was time to test Intelligent Adoptive Cruise Control skills (Active driving safety assistant skill). I started to drive, setting them at 90km/h (speed limit of Jayu-ro, Paju-si). Torres drove himself beside road lanes while leaving a good space with a car ahead. Moves were stable. Regardless of the sudden speed changes, it was gentle. It will be good for speed-limit sections and long-distance driving.

The fuel efficiency was 15.2km/h while driving in both the city and the highway (total 114km). Considering the official fuel efficiency being 10.2km/hr, it was awesome. There were quite a number of other drivers observing our performance while test-driving. When I was taking photos, many asked me about the car-capability of Torres.

Torres has both luxurious interior design and performance. This gives me great satisfaction. Driving capability adds more to it. I believe Torres is a signal shot of the resurrection of Ssangyong cars. It is not less than expensive SUV cars. I look forward to seeing KR10 soon.