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SsangYong Tivoli XLV – Review by Sue Cooke

The pushchair that I used to push my son around in was very light and small and folded up to small car boot size.

This week I struggled for half an hour trying to fold down the huge clumpy thing that my grandson has, much to his amusement. In the end as it wouldn’t fit into the boot, in temper I pushed it on to the back seat of the car and let my son figure out how to get the thing out!

No wonder then that family drivers are looking for more boot space. Which has prompted SsangYong to introduce what they say is a new class – the Tivoli XLV. The new B segment crossover has a longer body which incorporates a 720 litre boot, which is huge as car boots go.

The Tivoli (spelt backwards – I LOVE IT) was launched last year and in that time sales have doubled. The new Tivoli XLV features a lengthened body from behind the C pillar, an increase of 238mm over the standard car but built on the same wheelbase.

There are exterior styling changes to the front sill – which houses the fog lights – and unique rear lights. As 80% of Tivoli buyers opt for the top of the range ELX trim, and as 60% of sales are diesel, the XLV will have ELX trim and a 1.6 litre turbo diesel engine. The engine is made by SsangYong and I drove this powerplant at the launch. There is turbo power when required for quick overtaking and the engine is smooth and refined. There is a choice of a 6-speed manual transmission or 6-speed Aisin automatic and two-wheel drive or 4×4.

Intelligent four-wheel drive automatically adapts when driving in snow, or wet slippery conditions, by diverting power to the rear wheels to improve driving stability. When driving on a hill or slope, the four-wheel drive operates with Hill Start Assist to control power to any wheels that are spinning. And for optimised braking performance, ESP and ABS also control the 4×4 system for greater safety.

Facts at a Glance
Model: SsangYong Tivoli XLV 2wd
Price: £18,250 on the road
Engine: 1.6 litre diesel manual
Performance: 0-62 mph in 12 seconds
Top speed: 109 mph
CO2 emissions: 117g/km
Combined fuel consumption: 62.8 mpg

Buyers can personalise their Tivoli XLV with a different coloured roof and can choose interior colours. The quality cabin, which is comprehensively equipped, has a contemporary dashboard and brightly lit dials sit behind the leather steering wheel.

SsangYong says that passenger safety has been a top priority for this car, which comes with seven airbags including front, side and curtain airbags plus a driver’s knee airbag and a long list of braking assist systems.

The Tivoli XLV is in dealerships now but as an imported car it will take around 3½ months from ordering to delivery. SsangYong, which is the only 4×4 and SUV specialist producer in South Korea, currently has 58 dealers in the UK but the company says it hopes to have 65 by the end of this year.

Of the 80% of buyers who purchase the Tivoli, only 20% are expected to buy the XLV but with a 51% residual value over 3 years, SsangYong says it is the best value SUV.

And SsangYong Motor which is 73% owned by the Indian engineering conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra and imports cars into the UK through SsangYong Motor UK is on a growth spurt. In the next 20 months, the company promises three new models, a new Rexton which is a big seven-seater, four-wheel drive SUV; a new pickup truck and a new Korando, a mid-size SUV.

You can follow Sue Cooke on Twitter @cookecars