Pop quiz: What is Korea’s oldest car maker?

If you answered Kia or Hyundai, that’s understandable, given the strong global profile the stablemates have built. But you would be wrong.

The answer, which may surprise people, is SsangYong, which has been building cars since 1954 and recently rebranded as KGM SsangYong.

The rebrand follows a period of financial instability which ultimately led to its takeover by giant Korean industrial company KG Group.

SsangYong’s history in Australia dates back to the mid-’90s when the brand launched the Musso 4x4 wagon and the company has operated here as a factory-owned and backed operation since 2019.

But the KG Group takeover means the singular SsangYong brand is no more, with the company rebranding to KGM SsangYong in more than 100 countries worldwide, retaining the familiar winged logo as a nod to the past.

While the ownership and name change may be of passing interest to automotive industry train spotters, what’s no doubt of more interest to new car buyers is the fact a brand-new model accompanies the rebrand, the Torres SUV.

In line with SsangYong’s established market positioning of offering quality Korean-made vehicles at an affordable price, the new full-sized medium SUV promises a roomy interior, generous features and strong value for money, with a driveway price for the entry-level model from just $38,000.

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The Torres joins the established KGM SsangYong 4x4 range, which includes the Musso dual cab ute and Rexton seven-seat large SUV, but unlike these body-on frame models, the Torres is based on more car-like unibody design.

That should endow it with more civilised road manners than its rugged stablemates.

You wouldn’t necessarily glean that from the Torres’ rugged exterior design, which features LED headlights, high-gloss black A-pillars, and angular wheel arch mouldings.

The rear view includes a metallic finish skid plate, LED combination lights and a high-mount stop light integrated into the rear spoiler.

Inside, the Torres boasts a contemporary-looking dash with large panoramic digital interface, combining a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment panel, with brushed copper-effect trim highlights and a compact toggle switch gear selector.

A floating style centre console provides additional storage space, including a large area on the floor beneath.

In fact, the spacious interior promises over 1m of head room in both front and rear seating positions, with boot space a generous 703 litres with all five seats in the upright position, extending to 1,526 litres with the rear seats folded down.

Safety is well catered for too, with eight airbags, although not all ADAS features are available on every models.

Among the list of tech and safety features are Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Front Vehicle Start Alert, High Beam Assist, Driver Attention Alert, Electronic Stability Control, Anti-Lock Braking, Trailer Stability Assist, plus front and rear parking sensors.

Power comes from a 1.5-litre direct injection turbo petrol four-cylinder producing 120kW/280Nm of torque, which sends drive to either the front- or all-wheel drive through a six-speed automatic. Fuel consumption for the combined cycle is a claimed 7.4L/100km for the 2WD models and 7.9L/100km for the all-wheel drive.

Recommended driveaway pricing for the entry-level two-wheel drive ELX starts at $38,000, with standard features including 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, HD rear-view camera, dual-zone climate control, privacy glass, heated, power-adjustable door mirrors, and front and rear parking sensors.

Stepping up to the $43,000 mid-spec Torres Adventure brings additional features including a power tailgate with Smart opening and closing, leather-look seats, heated front seats and steering wheel, Blind-Spot Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Warning and Tyre Pressure Monitoring.

The top-grade Ultimate is the only all-wheel drive variant and comes with driveaway pricing of $47,000.

Standard features include 20-inch alloy wheels, 360-degree camera, Adaptive Cruise Control, power sunroof, leather seats with eigh-way power adjustment, heated rear outer seats, ventilated front seats.

The Torres drives into a popular-but-crowded medium-SUV segment dominated by the Toyota RAV4 and quality rivals including the Subaru Forester and Nissan X-Trail.

Keen driveaway pricing and a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty will help its cause, as will the fact the long warranty extends to commercial use, where many rivals reduce coverage for the latter.

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