Prices for this Korean pickup start at $29,000. At this point, you can't help but raise an eyebrow and wonder, "Why should I pay four thousand more?"

WHAT MAKES SSANGYONG DIFFERENT FROM RECOGNIZED LEADERS?
Talking about climate control or an additional airbag is pointless — in top trims, the Japanese-American competitors also have the full set of options. The BT-50's top configuration costs no more than $30,000, while the L200 at $31,500 already comes with an automatic transmission. The Actyon Sports with an "automatic" will cost about $34,000.


Moreover, surprisingly, the engine of the "Korean" also doesn't boast outstanding characteristics. The two-liter SsangYong diesel (141 hp and 310 Nm) is slightly more powerful than the Mitsubishi L200's engine, but it loses to the "Japanese" in torque. More importantly, the Japanese engine's displacement is half a liter larger, which provides an advantage in durability and flexibility. The Mazda/Ford diesel, in turn, beats the SsangYong in displacement, power, and torque.


When connecting the engine to the transmission, the assembly line workers (I'm sure they were just workers, because the SsangYong engineer at that moment probably stepped away to grab a newspaper with job ads) acted on the principle of "like on a Zhiguli." Here it's worth recalling history: AvtoVAZ under the "Zhiguli" brand produced exclusively rear-wheel-drive models — from the "kopeyka" to the "semerka." Drivers of such cars day after day feel with their hands and feet a terrible mix of a non-flexible engine and short gears that don't overlap each other. After engaging first gear, your foot stays on the clutch, after second — also, since extra movements are pointless. On third gear, you can catch your breath, and fully exhale — only on fourth. And this repeats at every start from a standstill.


You'll have to drive the Actyon Sports with a manual transmission in much the same way. Oh yes, I completely forgot to mention the turbo. It kicks in somewhere in the 1800–2500 rpm range, depending on how you press the gas, and does so so sharply and energetically that it seems the pickup is about to jump out of a trench. But we found an interesting detail: when you start moving and release the clutch, the car automatically adds revs. This is very convenient.


LOW RANGE IS IN PLACE!
The "Korean" clearly attracts people. Passersby approach, ask about the model, and their faces show not idle curiosity. Many like that the SsangYong least resembles a truck. Mazda and Ford look too brutal, and the L200... well, I won't argue about tastes. In any case, against the backdrop of the "Americans" and "Japanese," the Actyon Sports finds its fans. I'm afraid, though, that they are not aware of the price of the new model and certainly don't know about its real advantages, since those are hidden behind the appearance and are only revealed upon close acquaintance.

The SsangYong can boast a spacious and quite comfortable cabin. It doesn't justify the inflated price of the pickup, but it gives reason for praise: the interior of the "Korean" is the widest in its class, and this is immediately felt when you sit inside. For a small truck, passenger friendliness is important; it makes the pickup more versatile.


The main trump card of the Actyon Sports is revealed in motion. I drove off the asphalt toward the forest and couldn't stop praising the SsangYong for how tolerantly it handles bumpy dirt roads. It turns out you don't need to load it to achieve a smooth ride, as is required from other pickups. The key role was played by the springs in the rear suspension of the "Korean." With leaf springs, it would be stiffer, though the payload capacity would increase...

The Actyon Sports swallows everything that comes under its wheels so confidently that when leaving the asphalt, you don't even need to slow down. I've never flown so fast on a country road in any empty pickup before. It's a pity that all the turns were hidden by trees and not visible. A couple of months ago, I tried to drive the L200 the same way — I was almost seasick from the transverse-longitudinal shaking... The Actyon Sports goes smoothly, as if on water or on a meter-thick layer of cotton wool. One question remains: where does this unpleasant coarse vibration on the body come from, as if it were made of jelly, after every crack in the asphalt? Who's to blame — the insufficiently rigid body structure or the shock absorbers?


When the Actyon (not the pickup) was at the editorial office for a winter test, we wondered: why is there no low range in the transfer case? But, as it turned out, the Koreans saved this vital option for Russia specifically for their truck. The pickup, built on the basis of the avant-garde all-wheel-drive vehicle, is equipped with a full-fledged reduction gear — finally.

THIS IS NOT FOR SURFING
Three days behind the wheel of the Actyon Sports and three days of reflection: who is it made for? Honestly, there are few options — essentially only one: for surfers (the front optics go perfectly with a board in the bed). More broadly: the Korean pickup is for those who value comfort on bad roads and are willing to put up with short gears in the gearbox and a non-flexible engine. That doesn't really sound like a surfer...