Stylish new SsangYong Tivoli breaks cover

SSANGYONG has unveiled its first all-new car in four years in South Korea this week, previewing a compact front-wheel-drive SUV called the Tivoli that will take on rivals in the busy baby-SUV segment.

The crossover has been previewed in concept form at the last four major motor shows, including the most recent show in Paris.

Korea’s oldest carmaker – which is majority-owned by Indian industrialists Mahindra – will show the car at the Geneva motor show in March, ahead of a global roll-out shortly after.

SsangYong’s Australian importer Ateco Automotive has not confirmed an arrival date, but it’s expected that the Tivoli will join the four-car local line-up in August.

Price-wise, it should sit below its bigger brother, the 2.0-litre Korando, which retails at $27,990 driveaway, but final price negotiations between the factory and Ateco are ongoing.

It will arrive in the midst of a torrid battle for market position in the crowded small SUV sector, with Mazda’s CX-3, the all-new Honda HR-V, Renault’s Captur and the new Jeep Renegade joining the Nissan Juke, Ford’s EcoSport, the Mitsubishi ASX, Holden’s Trax and the Hyundai ix35 on showroom floors this year.

The B-segment crossover features a less polarising design than SsangYongs of old, taking more visual cues from its larger sibling, the Korando. Previewed in concept form as the XIV-Adventure at the Paris Motor Show, the four-door SUV sports LED daytime running lights around the headlights, prominent driving lights and black overfenders running from front to back.

Designed out of house, the Tivoli is 4195mm long – about the same as a Juke. It is, however, the widest in the segment at 1795mm.

In base guise, the Tivoli comes standard with 16-inch alloys, but two sets of optional 18-inch wheels are available. One of the press images shows a darkened glass roof panel, which may indicate that a panoramic glass roof will be an option on higher spec variants.

Mechanically, the Tivoli will come with two drivetrain options. An all-new, naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine, designated e-XGi160, is built to pass stringent Euro 6 emissions regulations, and makes 93kW at 6000rpm and 157Nm at 4600rpm. It also sports variable induction, a high-strength timing chain and a die-cast aluminium cylinder block base – a first for a Korean manufacturer, according to SsangYong.

A new 1.6-litre diesel engine will also be offered as an option on the Tivoli, however no further information was provided. Either a six-speed manual or an Aisin six-speed automatic gearbox will back both engines.

It rides on MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam in the rear, with disc brakes all round. High-strength steels are used in the body, and ESP is fitted as standard. A three-level feel mode, known as Smart Steer, is also fitted to the electric steering system as standard.

Seven airbags – including a driver’s knee bag – are standard across the line, as are seatbelt pre-tensioners and front and rear parking sensors. Auto lights and wipers, cruise control, a sunroof and an electro-chromatic rear view mirror are available as options.

Inside, the five-seat Tivoli’s interior trim is available in three colours, while the instrument cluster lights can display seven different hues. A small screen in the centre of the instrument cowling complements the seven-inch infotainment screen, while the flat-base steering wheel is leather-wrapped and sports cruise and stereo function buttons.

There’s both a USB and an HDMI socket on the dashboard, though there’s no confirmation they will reach Australia. Plugging a phone in via the HDMI port will allow video and music to be streamed directly to the large screen, which also acts as a rear-view camera monitor it’s not clear if the reversing camera is fitted as standard or is available as an option. The six-speaker stereo can stream a wide variety of audio and video formats, as well.

The dual-zone air-conditioning can also be set to three different modes, and also sports a memory function. There’s a smart-key entry and locking facility, while additional standard features include a luggage screen and automatic hazard warning light activation. There is 423 cubic litres of luggage room with the second row of seats in place.