Essential Motoring 101

Another opportunity to test drive a rare gem. The latest offering from Ssangyong is the SUV-derived Actyon Sports (pronounced as ACK-ti-ON) pick-up truck. No, its not JUST another truck to hit the market but it’s a truck to revel with the luxuries packed in it. Although a late-comer in the trucking scene in Malaysia, it is an effort by the Korean automaker to not lose out in the slowly-but-surely demand for pick-up trucks.

The smiling fish

What I have observed, in my humble opinion, in the 10 trucks owned by Malaysians, only 2 owners would consider going offroading with it. More often than not, the pick-up trucks in Malaysia are more like city warriors than semi-amphibious forest predators. The need to own a truck as a lifestyle vehicle even outweighs the capabilities as commercial workhorses in the past year. The Actyon Sports is a cool vehicle to grace the streets of Kuala Lumpur and still takes you into the jungle, effortlessly. Not to mention, turn heads too! Why? Read on!

A beached whale with it’s mouth open

Being one of the late-comer in the arena of workhorses, the Ssangyong Actyon Sports is a weird looking pick-up truck for one to stomach. Never before seen in our Malaysian soils, Competitive Supreme, the distributor for all Ssangyong vehicles took the bull by its horns by introducing the Actyon Sports, the latest SUV-based pick-up truck. One glance at the pick-up truck and you can spot a whale on wheels with its gaping mouth.

A mobile jacuzzi at the rear?

A chance to put the one-tonne truck to the test, I can proudly declare that the Actyon Sports felt like a jacked-up Mercedes with a bed attached to its rear. Not so much of the size of the truck but the sheer feeling of luxury when I first got onto the vehicle. The interior was truly inviting thanks to its front and rear seats wrapped in black leather.

The heart of the Actyon Sports is no stranger in today’s pick-up trucks. The truck is driven by a 2.0 litre third-generation common rail turbo intercooler direct injection engine. This is an advantage for potential owners when paying the annual road tax; it is only RM439, compared to the conventional 2.5 litre pick-up trucks available in the market, which easily reaches the RM1000 mark. Currently, the Actyon Sports is only available in automatic transmission, another gain especially driving around city traffic.

In terms of power, the Actyon Sports just keeps pushing ahead whenever I step on the accelerator. It can be quite a drag on first tap of the pedal but step on further and one gets sucked into the seats. The torque pushes early at 1800 rpm, thrusting the truck into high speeds in minimal time, compliments to the power of the turbine.

Does it strike a resemblance with the Merc?

Here is another X-factor to own an Actyon Sports. The truck sits on suspensions similar to that of an SUV. The front and rear suspensions are made up of coil springs and absorbers, a plus point in terms of comfort while driving on long distances. Ssangyong truly changed the way of today’s offroad driving, making the experience more comfortably refined.

Dial for comfort and rugged - seat heaters and 4WD transmission

The Actyon Sports may seem like a gentle damsel but it could take you into the jungle and out without strain. I have not actually driven the truck into deep forests but the notion of it being a 4-wheel drive pick-up truck had I quite convinced that this creature is no child’s play. Shifting from the usual 2-wheel to 4-wheel can be done while in motion, with just a turn of a knob located on the dash.

There was also another treat for our rear ends; the seats can be heated up for better comfort during cold weather. This feature may seem somewhat redundant in our tropical weather but one can never be too sure of it when it starts to rain. There were two knobs to activate the heating element but seems like only the co-driver’s seats worked. The driver’s seat could be malfunctioned at that time. Whenever my Significant Other hops onto the seat, she would always want the heater turned on, on the pretext of having a cosy ride on the truck.

Go cruisin’ with this truck? Waitaminute!? :O

More goodies ahead. The Actyon Sports comes equipped with cruise control, a thoughtful feature to ease the knees for that long distance driving. What I like the most was the electronically-controlled front seats. No more groping your hands to pull levers and shoving the butt, the seats can be controlled for the desired seating position at any time, stress-free.

Electric seat adjustments making a debut in today’s truck

You can transport an elephant on this one

Let’s jump into the bed, the rear bed that is. It appears to be massive from afar and looks like it could transport an elephant with a bed that deep. Unfortunately, there were no jumbos around to move about so I didn’t have the opportunity to load-test the truck.

Are you still asking for more? The Actyon Sports truck comes with dual airbags for the front passengers, MP3 player with integrated tweeters on the front doors, steering wheel audio controls; electric-controlled side mirrors and automatic lights-off sensor. And, the most essential feature bestowed upon any pick-up trucks is the rear parking sensors.

The standard ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) comes with EBD (Electronic Brake-force Differential) for added security in harsh braking conditions, especially when carrying heavy loads.

Let’s go cruisin’ on this whale!

Despite the odd looks on the truck’s exterior, it is a dream to own this creature especially in tropical countries. The truck is not too high to board but tall enough to go thru flood waters. Priced at RM91,989.20 without insurance, the Actyon Sports is truly a fun yet luxurious vehicle, making heads turn at every glance.