The Ssangyong Tivoli is a small SUV that offers a lot of passenger space and a generous helping of features included as standard for a much lower price than you’ll pay for many other small SUVs. It has a usefully large boot and a manufacturer’s warranty from new that covers it for five years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first).
The Tivoli was first sold in the UK in 2015. It’s had many over the years, adding to the list of standard features with things like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone support. The Tivoli XLV was also added to the range – it’s a longer, more practical version of the car with a bigger boot.
The most recent round of updates (in 2020) included refreshed styling details and new engine options. Those are 1.2-litre and 1.5-litre petrol engines, which replaced the old 1.6-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel. You can choose from models with manual or automatic gearboxes, and front- or four-wheel drive. There’s also a broad spectrum of trim levels available, ranging from value-focused to rather lavish.
Every Tivoli comes pretty well equipped considering its relatively low price. Even the entry-point SE trim level has manual air con, cruise control, four electric windows and a touchscreen media system with a radio and aux-in/USB input sockets. The popular, mid-range ELX adds to that with automatic dual-zone air con, a reversing camera, Bluetooth and, in models sold after 2019, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto support. On top of all that, top-of-the-range Ultimate models get built-in TomTom sat nav, leather upholstery and heated front seats.
The older 1.6-litre petrol engine that was available in the Tivoli from 2015 to 2020 can give average fuel economy of 39mpg with a manual gearbox or 37mpg with an automatic gearbox, according to official figures. Diesel manual models can give as much as 62mpg and diesel automatics can give 47mpg. The official figures show the 1.2-litre and 1.5-litre petrol engines can each give 40mpg if they have a manual gearbox, while the 1.5-litre automatic can give you 36mpg.
Fuel economy for the diesel engine is competitive with other small, diesel SUVs, but the petrol engines are less fuel-efficient than many rival cars. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are either average or higher than average for this type of car.
Other small SUVs you might want to consider include the Dacia Duster, the Suzuki Vitara and the Citroen C3 Aircross. Compared with them, the Tivoli is a solid all-rounder and it’s particularly useful if you need a lot of passenger space.
There’s a huge amount of space in the front of the Tivoli. Leg and headroom is so generous that even someone well over six feet tall can stretch out, which can only be said of a handful of other small SUVs.
If anything, the back seats are even roomier. Two adults of six feet or more can comfortably sit behind people of similar height in the front and still stretch out their legs. The Tivoli is a little narrow, though, so five adults might be too much of a squeeze. Still, a typical family of four should have all the space they need. The roominess of the back seats makes it easier to install a child seat on the Isofix mounts, too.
The boot’s 427-litre capacity is on the larger side for this type car and should be more than enough to carry all you need for family life. Each part of the two-piece boot floor can be positioned vertically to create different sections for different things, or removed entirely to take full advantage of the extra space. Leave them in place and the boot floor is level with the back bumper, which makes loading easier. If you need more space, you can fold down the back seats. Or opt for the Tivoli XLV for a more estate-car feel.
Ssangyong has only sold SUVs, MPVs and pick-up trucks in the UK; the Tivoli is the smallest SUV the Korean brand offers. The bigger SUVs are the mid-size Korando and the Rexton – a large seven-seater that’s more of a traditional off-roader.
Safety organisation Euro NCAP gave the Tivoli a four-star safety rating out of a possible five. Driver-safety features like forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking are fitted to many models. Top-of-the-range models also have lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist.
Ssangyong Tivoli
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Ssangyong Tivoli
2016 1.6 D ELX 5dr
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