It’s not quite enjoying the same success as the Nissan Juke, but after a year on sale SsangYong’s Tivoli has been a hit. Over 64,000 have been churned out of the Korean factory to date, which makes the crossover the brand’s biggest selling model.
SsangYong claims part of the Tivoli’s appeal is it not being a “downsize too far” for customers moving from larger SUVs because it’s one of the most spacious crossovers in its class. That being the case, where does this – the even bigger Tivoli XLV – fit in?
Born from a concept built initially as a design exercise, the XLV (which optimistically stands for ‘eXciting Lifestyle Vehicle’) enjoyed such a positive response when its concept equivalent debuted at last year’s Frankfurt show that SsangYong decided it would be silly not to build it. The premise is very simple – from the C-Pillar forward it’s virtually unchanged, but extra bodywork stretches the rear overhang by 238mm. That means no changes to the wheelbase and very few mechanical alterations, keeping costs down to a minimum.
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From the front you’d easily mistake the XLV for a standard Tivoli, despite an altered front bumper design. It’s from the side where things start to get a bit challenging, however. The relatively short wheelbase and substantially longer backside make it look ungainly from some angles, although it’s more easily digestible in the flesh than in pictures. The rear-end gets a necessary redesign, while standard-fit roof rails make it look more purposeful in profile. Overall it’s a distinctive car, but not a particularly pretty one to our eyes.
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The benefits of the swollen rear are obvious. The boot, already a decent 423-litres in the standard Tivoli, swells to a massive 720 litres seats-up. That means a bigger load capacity than a Ford Edge or even a Skoda Superb estate. In reality, the space is more deep than long, but that still makes it one of the most practical cars in this price bracket. It’s a shame that, although the rear seats fold and recline, they don’t slide back or forth to allow more legroom or boot space. As is, it’s accommodating back there but not outstanding.
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In the front, the XLV is standard Tivoli fare. Bosses tell us UK cars are likely to be based on flagship ELX spec initially, which means sat-nav, dual-zone climate control, auto lights and wipers and leather trim. That makes it generously equipped, especially as the XLV is likely to add around £1,000 to the already low price of the Tivoli. Material quality is reasonable, and it feels mostly well-screwed together, but like the smaller crossover the cheap-looking centre console and some scratchy plastics let it down. Given what you’re paying for the XLV it’s more than acceptable, though.
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SsangYong looks set to offer the Tivoli XLV with both two and four-wheel drive and manual or automatic gearboxes. But it will only be available with the 1.6-litre diesel engine in the UK, rather than the naturally-aspirated 1.6 petrol. That’s fine, though, as the oil-burner is the pick of the range, with 300Nm of torque meaning strong enough mid-range performance. Like the standard Tivoli, the XLV’s engine gets raucous the more you rev it, and there’s little reward in speed so it’s better at a cruise where the diesel clatter settles down. The automatic gearbox of our test car is reasonably quick and smooth at swapping cogs, but the manual is the better bet as it’s cheaper and considerably more efficient, managing a claimed 62.8mpg versus 47.9. The four-wheel drive model harms efficiency even further, but offers decent ability off the beaten track despite the chunky rear-end reducing the departure angle.
We criticised the standard Tivoli for having a harsh ride over bumpy roads, and the XLV’s mere 35kg weight increase can only go so far in improving that. It does feel fractionally more settled on the smooth Spanish tarmac of our test route, but we’ll have to try it on UK roads to be sure. That extra weight doesn’t make much difference to the handling, either: It’s fairly composed and the steering is responsive, but push hard and there’s plenty of body roll and the front tyres quickly surrender grip. There are more inspiring drives in the crossover sector, but few as big or as keenly priced.
- Model: SsangYong TIvoli XLV
- Price: £19,000 (est)
- Engine: 1.6-litre diesel, 113bhp, 300Nm
- Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
- 0-62mph: 12 seconds (est)
- Top speed: 107mph
- Economy: 47.9mpg
- CO2: 154g/km
- On sale: June