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The SsangYong Tivoli was this Korean brand's first truly credible value-brand entrant in the growing small Crossover segment. It's not only more affordable than nearly all its rivals from the 2015-2023 period but also offers more space, capability and equipment than most contenders in this segment can deliver. It was a breakthrough vehicle for this ambitious Korean maker.
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History
Unlike many previous SsangYongs - and the other affordable-brand model in this segment, Dacia's Duster - SsangYong's first small SUV, the Tivoli, didn't just sell on price and equipment. On the contrary, in terms of technology and design, efficiency and dynamics, at launch in 2015 it claimed to be right on the pace in its sector. Some even saw it as quite stylish.
Initially, it was launched with a choice of 1.6-litre petrol and diesel variants, the latter with a 4WD option. An SUV estate version, the Tivoli XLV, was sold between 2019 and 2021 with the same engines. In 2020, the 1.6-litre petrol engine in the standard Tivoli was replaced by two petrol units, a 1.2 and a 1.5. At the end of 2021, the 1.2 was phased out (along with the 1.6-litre diesel, which since 2019 had only been available in front-driven form). The 1.5-litre petrol version continued with SsangYong badging until the end of 2023. At which point SsangYong was taken over and the car was re-badged the KGM Tivoli. It's the SsangYong Tivoli models we look at here.
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What you get
'Rhythmical, Dynamic and Dignified' are the three words this Korean brand liked to use to describe the design language displayed here. You be the judge. It's surely true that if you style such a fashion-conscious a car from scratch, your influences need to be very carefully chosen. Here, SsangYong's were, with the shape characterised by the kind of pronounced 'floating'-style roof that worked so well on a rival Kia Soul and even more effectively on a pricey Range Rover Evoque.
At the wheel, the cabin's a lot nicer than the kind of thing you'd expect to find in a small, affordable Crossover from this period, especially if you opt for one of the mid or high-spec trim levels that SsangYong mainly tried to sell. You can see why these were more popular. In place of the plastic steering wheel and orange-screened stereo of the entry-level variant, with plusher spec you get the luxury of full leather trim and a stitched covering for the flat-bottomed wheel. In addition, there's a centre dash dominated by an informative 7-inch colour touchscreen via which you access the usual stereo, 'phone and informational functions, plus the Tom Tom sat nav system that's standard on the top 'ELX' model.
Another of this Tivoli's strong selling points is the space it can offer rear seat passengers. Getting in and out is easy thanks to the raised seating level and once inside, you'll find there's certainly a lot more room in the back than you'd expect from a car less than 4.2m long and under 1.6m high. No model in this class is especially appropriate for three rear-seated folk but if you had to take a trio of adults on the back seat in a car of this type, then this is the model you'd want to have chosen for the task. Out back, the cabin's spacious feel extends into a boot area that, at 423-litres, is about 20% bigger than the class norm.
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What to look for
Most Tivoli customers we came across seemed very satisfied. However, there were a few issues. One owner had the tyre pressure warning light continually coming on during just about every journey; they also complained that that the fuel cap release lever did not always open the fuel cap. Another owner had more serious issues - a prop shaft vibration at 60mph, broken / jamming exterior door handles, a media unit that reset itself continually overnight, a defective crankshaft sensor, an oil leak from 4x4 power take off, ECU faults triggering a limp home mode and electrical interference affecting the throttle, requiring part-dismantling of the dashboard and bulkhead to re wire and re-route the throttle loom.
Otherwise, it's just the usual things; check the interior for child damage and the alloy rims for scratches. And insist on a fully stamped-up service history.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2017 Tivoli 1.6 TD) SsangYong parts aren't too expensive, given that it's a low volume importer. Front brake pads are in the £15-51 bracket for a set; rears are in the £15-£55 bracket. A pair of front brake discs is around £50-£76; rears are in the £28-£88 bracket. An air filter is in the £7-£65 bracket, a fuel filter's in the £3-£30 bracket, an oil filter's in the £6011 bracket while a wiper bade is likely to retail in the £10 to £12 bracket.
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On the road
From launch, there was a choice of two normally aspirated 1.6-litre engines, a 128PS petrol unit or a 115PS diesel. If you don't stress this powerplant, then it's very acceptably refined. If you do, then the competitive performance on offer sees 62mph reached in 12.0s en route to 106mph. This particular unit could be had with a six-speed automatic gearbox, the same sporty AISIN transmission that MINI uses, which shifts the cogs quick enough to shave a second from that initial sprint time.
If you choose a diesel version from the 2015-2019 period, it can be had with 4WD too. The 4x4 option will be especially appealing to towers who will note the diesel model's class-leading 1,500kg braked towing weight. In 2020, the 1.6-litre petrol made way for two slightly more refined green pump units, of 1.2 and 1.5-litres in size. These were more economical but not a lot faster - and only came in front-driven form.
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Overall
Do you love it? The 'Tivoli' name, in case you hadn't realised, spells 'I lov it' backwards. Or, if you prefer, connects his car into the elegance of the Roman hilltop town that was home to the Emperor Hadrian. Either way, it's a badge appropriate for the kind of fashionable little Juke-genre Crossover this car is trying to be.
There may be more dynamic, more efficient choices from this period in this segment but can they really offer enough to justify their higher pricing? Are the products in question really that much better than this one? Try a Tivoli and you may well decide not.
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