Steve Howarth with the latest on four wheels
I have always associated SSanYong with the value end of the car market so was very pleasantly surprised to get into their budget crossover Tivoli ELX 1.6 petrol auto to find top quality finishes and a long list of standard kit.
This included touch screen sat nav, cruise control, reversing camera and plush, two-tone leather heated seats… certainly nothing cheap here.
In fact that list of standard kit on the near-top-of-the-range ELX also includes iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, dual climate control, 18”‘diamond cut’ alloy wheels, ventilated disc brakes, keyless start, front and rear parking sensors, auto headlights and wipers, powerfold door mirrors, rear spoiler and rear privacy glass.
On the safety front SSanYong have not scrimped either as there are seven airbags, electronic stability, brake and hill start assist, high-strength steel used throughout the body structure and a tyre pressure monitoring.
In a smart ‘Dandy blue’ with blue and beige leather interior the Tivoli looked really well and its boxy Korean styling, which may not appeal to everyone, means plenty of room on the inside.
On the road the 1.6 petrol engine is enthusiastic if a little thrashy, delivering a very respectable 125bhp – which gives a 0-60 time of 11 seconds and a top speed of 99mph.
Our car was the 6-speed auto version which coped well with everyday motoring and the overall driving experience is quite pleasant.
Where the car does score quite well is on that all-important fuel efficiency. Extra urban is a shade under 50mpg – not bad for a petrol engine – while urban is 29 and combined 39.2. There is also a slower, even more fuel-efficient 115bhp diesel version on offer.
The Tivoli is up against strong opposition in this sector in the shape of cars like the Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008 and Renault Captur and its styling is not as striking – which some will think is a good thing – but it does undercut them on price, with the range starting at £12,950, and has better spec levels. A five-year unlimited mileage warranty will also prove very attractive to budget-conscious buyers.
However, our near top-of-the-range ELX auto test model was £17,000 on the road (including £500 extra for that smart blue paint job) and the top spec models are £19,500, so I suspect the bulk of SsangYong’s UK sales are going to be those cheaper models, which still boast a reasonable level of standard kit.