Ssangyong Tivoli
Alternative choice impressed at launch. Is it still a contender now?
MODELTESTED: Ssangyong Tivoli 1.6 e-xgi EX PRICE: £15,545 ENGINE: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 126bhp
THE Tivoli is Ssangyong’s affordable SUV and a rival for the Duster. At £15,545 for this 1.6 e-xgi petrol in EX trim (our pictures show an SE), it’s close to the Dacia on price. But there’s one big difference that we’ll come to. This model represented a step up to the mainstream for the Korean brand, so can it rise to the challenge the new Duster poses here?
Design & engineering
Four-wheel drive is available on the Tivoli, but one key difference over its rivals is that this isn’t offered in petrol form. If you want all-wheel drive, you’ll have to go diesel.
There is no diesel option in the Ignis range and diesel Dusters only come in two-wheel drive. Given how the market is moving, the trend back towards petrol is an interesting development.
These types of cars don’t venture too far from the tarmac, though, so two-wheel drive is fine. But even so, we’ve already seen that this doesn’t really give the Tivoli an advantage when it comes to efficiency.
That’s partly down to the old-school 1.6-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine.
It produces 126bhp and 160Nm of torque, and feels very similar in character to the Duster’s unit. It needs working hard, is fairly noisy and not so smooth when you do push it. Generally, it lacks the performance and low-end urgency you get from a more modern turbo unit. At least the Tivoli’s six-speed gearbox is sweeter than the Dacia’s.
As this is only a two-wheel-drive model, although the Macpherson-strut front suspension layout is similar to its rivals’, the rear end uses a torsion beam, which affects ride quality.
Still, there’s a comparable level of kit and in EX trim you get cruise and climate control, a reversing camera, some good safety tech, heated leather seats and a seven-inch infotainment system. Sat-nav isn’t standard, though, and like the Duster, you can tell the Tivoli’s more budget nature. The cabin quality isn’t great, and the design is more bland than the Suzuki’s in particular. At least the interior feels hard-wearing.
Driving
NONE of these cars feels particularly effortless to drive and, like the Dacia, the Ssangyong’s 1.6-litre engine seems breathless. That was reflected at our test track, where the Tivoli wasn’t especially quick.
It was a few tenths slower than the Ignis accelerating from 0-60mph (10.8 seconds), and trailed the Duster between 30 and 50mph in third and fourth; although it reversed this result between 50 and 70mph in fifth and sixth gears.
However, you still need to use plenty of throttle and revs if you want to make progress, and while it’s not the worst thing having to work the acceptable six-speed manual box, refinement is a bit of an issue.
This extends to the ride because the suspension control feels lumpy and unsettled in places. On anything less than a smooth road, it’s fidgety and larger bumps throw the body around as the suspension struggles to contain the energy.
This has an effect on comfort, but also dynamics, and the Tivoli doesn’t feel as direct as the Ignis; even the new Duster with its lighter steering that delivers less kickback gives the impression of being slightly more responsive. All these elements combined ensure the Tivoli feels most at home on A-roads where the surface means the ride is better and the lack of stop-start traffic or the need for power to overtake on the motorway make it less demanding for the engine and more refined as a result.
Practicality
THE Tivoli is really usable, though. A 423-litre boot means there’s a good level of room for a family’s luggage, while the cabin offers useful space inside – although it’s just a little tighter than the Duster, as the overall dimensions show. Leg and headroom in the rear are still good, however, and it’s much more spacious (and therefore flexible) than the Ignis.
Storage is acceptable, but no better than in the Dacia, while other factors that make the Tivoli easy to use include the reversing camera. There’s also a button that changes the steering weight, so you can make it lighter for tighter urban areas and heavier for twisty roads. It’s not really necessary, though.
Ownership
ONE feature the Ssangyong does have in its favour is its standard fiveyear/unlimited-mileage warranty. Its two competitors only offer three years or 60,000 miles of coverage. The brand didn’t feature in our Driver Power survey due to a limited number of responses.
A good level of safety kit is included on this EX, with autonomous braking and collision warning standard. However, you’ll have to step up to ELX trim if you want lane-keep assist. The Tivoli achieved four Euro NCAP stars when it was originally tested in 2016.
Running costs
Budget-focused cars like these often don’t hold their value well, but our experts predict that a Tivoli in EX trim will keep 43.6 per cent of its list price. This means you’ll lose around £8,770 over three years/36,000 miles and it’ll be worth £6,775 after this period.
The Duster is expected to retain even more, at 47.2 per cent. This means depreciation of £8,020 – the least here – and a retained value of £7,175.
But the Ignis is expected to lose a lot more, with a residual value of only 34.4 per cent. This would see it lose £8,861 and therefore be worth only £4,638. Still, it is on offer with a £2,000 saving currently and many people buy these cars on PCP finance, so our deals may be of more interest. If this style of purchase is for you then the Ignis will be the most affordable option.