Review SsangYong Tivoli XLV (2016 - )

The SsangYong Tivoli XLV roomy and equipped for a small SUV, offering good value for money and plenty of space. We assess it in all areas and compare it to its competitors.

If you're in the market for a small SUV with a little more space and practicality than most, the Tivoli XLV could be for you. It can carry as much as most family estates, but is smaller and easier to park. It might not have the best driving experience, with a jiggly ride and rattly diesel engine, but it does come with a huge cabin, lots of equipment, a wide choice of engines, and two- and four-wheel drive.

Pros

Huge list of standard equipment

Five-year warranty

Spacious, practical cabin and big boot

Cons

Diesel engine is noisy when worked

Automatic models have high running costs

Only available in top-spec ELX trim

extra length required to make the boot larger are all disposed above the rear wheel

Ssangyong used for almost a byword for disaster design - with seven-seater Rodius chief culprits - but the standard Tivoli car looks very smart, with a neat proportions and boxy design. Unfortunately, XLV looks a bit more awkward, especially when reviewed from behind. extra length required to make the boot larger are all disposed above the rear wheel, so it looks a bit unbalanced. It is a shame, because with 18-inch wheels, LED daytime running lights, and a 'floating' roof, from other angles seem quite sporty.

There is only one trim available, which comes with everything that we've just listed, plus roof rails to secure the bike rack or roof box, and two-tone bumper a good help to further differentiate it from the standard car. Buyers can choose to embellish the exterior with the optional Styling Pack - which adds black alloys, roof spoiler and body-colored door mirrors. It was pretty much a lot of personalization, apart from five standard body colors and two 'My Tivoli' colors are available on request.

Our interior Rating 4/5

Interior XLV not quite as distinctive as the outside, but still a pleasant place to spend time. the layout is nice and bright, with SsangYong following in the footsteps of fellow Korean brands Hyundai and Kia to provide much easier to use, chunky controls for the main function, and a decent touch screen in the center console. Some of the on-screen menu is hard to understand, and unlike rival systems user-friendly, but sat-nav and a reversing camera are both standard.

Build quality is generally very good, with strong fit and finish throughout, and although some of the plastics look and feel a bit below par in some areas, each model is equipped with a set of leather seats are comfortable and supportive heated. The driving position is good, with plenty of space to stretch out in all directions, and plenty of room for adjustment. Because you sit very upright, all-round and rear visibility is still very good, although XLV fair bit longer than the standard Tivoli.

Our practicality rating 5/5

2016 Ssangyong Tivoli XLV

Fold the seats down and you're left with 1,350 liters of space

One of the greatest strengths Tivoli XLV is how much space it is in. The contents of the boot to the roof and it will bring 720 liters - more than many real cars from the class above. The windshield is high, a high roofline and flat floor means it can carry five adults in total comfort, and everyone on board would have both knee- and head-room to spare.

The cabins are very practical, too, with lots of drawers dotted around. Door pockets are deep and wide enough to take a big bottle of water, and there is a stretchy elastic on the back of a front seat for storing maps or magazines. A set of roof rails are standard, such as when the boot is very large, it is not smart. There is a false floor so you can choose between even load bay or maximum capacity, and a lot purse hook, but the rear seats do not slide like they do in some of these competitors XLV.

However, folding 60:40 split-fold seats down and you're left with 1,350 liters of space - a huge amount for a car with such a small footprint. Caravaners will be pleased to hear the 4x4 version also makes the towing vehicle is useful, because it can be dragged up to 1,500kgs if necessary.

Our ride and handling rating 2/5

The Tivoli XLV is far more subtle than the previous car SsangYong, and it smothers the bumps are small enough. However, although it was closing the gap with its competitors, driving comfort is one of the areas in which they felt left behind its European rivals. The road surface must not deteriorate too much before Tivoli started to struggle. Even at low speeds around town, the suspension transmits too many sharp shocks into the cabin, but since the spring that expressed so soft, they come as a nasty surprise. It also rolls quite dramatically in tight corners, has less grip than its competitors, and the front tire would wash the area without too much provocation.

It's safe and secure, but XLV feels less agile, balanced or pleasant to drive as, say, the Renault Captur. There are different settings for the steering, but they added a strange, unnecessary weight and not additional feedback. Four-wheel drive models have a rear suspension a little more sophisticated, but still not rising particularly good, although it was the same thing true of the Nissan Juke and Kia Soul. If you want a mini-SUV with the accent on the sport, we will point you in the direction of Skoda Yeti.

Performance Our rating 3/5

2016 Ssangyong Tivoli XLV

The XLV is a car you have to drive in a stable manner if you value peace and quiet

Buyers who want the extra space offered by XLV get a single engine choice - a 1.6-liter diesel that produces just 113bhp, but a healthy slug of mid-range torque, which means you can make progress relatively quickly, without the constant need to change gears. It also means that Tivoli will not feel overwhelmed when it is fully loaded, but that's where the positives stop.

As soon as you try and work hard, when towing or driving steep, the machine became very noisy and tense, so XLV is a car you should drive with casual and steady if you appreciate peace and quiet.

There are two gearbox, both with six forward gears, one manual and one automatic. users are relatively easy to use, but the clutch is abrupt, and the action shifts quite stiff, so it can be tricky to drive smoothly. auto even easier to drive, although it can be slow to respond if you need a sudden explosion of acceleration. As you'll see below, you'll pay quite a big penalty in running costs. Some rivals are more subtle move, and feel quicker off the mark as well.

Running costs Our rating 3/5

Standard Tivoli is a very good value, but because XLV just come over ELX specification with all the bells and whistles, it is not much cheaper than its main rival. This price is approximately equal to the entry-level diesel version of the SUV to compete with, saving thousands of pounds on expensive optional extras.

As for operating costs, your choice of gearbox and transmission will have a major impact on your annual tax bill. Go for a drive manual models, the front wheel, and you'll have a lot more money, with CO2 emissions of just 117g / km and combined economy figures claimed more than 60mpg.

At the other end of the scale, four-wheel drive auto sat five higher tax band, pumping out 164g / km of CO2 and reduces fuel economy to over 50mpg. It was a similar story with the car company tax, but it is also worth noting that like the Tivoli, which XLV sits in insurance group is higher than some other crossovers, so your premiums may be slightly steeper than expected.

Reliability Our rating 3/5

2016 Ssangyong Tivoli XLV

Standard five-year warranty provides some extra peace of mind to buyers anxious

It's fair to say that SsangYong did not have the best record for reliability, either sit down in the bottom half of the standings manufacturer with Warranty Direct. However, scores are affected by several models that are much older, and the owners of new models on our website are (if not exclusively) reported good reliability, while the five-year warranty standard gives some extra peace of mind to buyers anxious uneasy about taking dove with smaller, lesser known brands. It fits the cover you will get from well-known brand for durability, including Toyota and Hyundai. Also, the mechanical parts in Tivoli XLV all tried and tested unit - and this simplicity should (in theory) lead to less problems further down the line.

Safety Our rating 3/5

The Tivoli XLV comes with a generous amount of standard safety equipment. Seven airbags, including one for the driver's knee, hill start assist, tire pressure monitor and control stability are all present and correct.

It has not been tested by Euro NCAP safety body, but without the latest active safety systems (lane departure warning, emergency brake assist and so on ...), it would be impossible to get out of the current test with a full five stars. Reversing camera and keyless entry and start feature welcome, but Tivoli XLV also performed poorly in safety tests by Thatcham, who said the car was easier to get into and easier to steal from its competitors. However, would-be thieves is not possible to know this, and most of the security they act wisely, which means hiding your valuables and lock.

Equipment Our rating 5/5

2016 Ssangyong Tivoli XLV

If you want to match a rival specification levels you will spend thousands more

As already mentioned, the larger XLV comes in only one specification - and have everything you need. Apart from 18-inch wheels, fog lamps, and a power-folding mirrors on the outside, the interior comes loaded too. heated leather seats, a 7.0-inch touch screen display with a built-in sat-nav, Bluetooth, cruise and climate control, parking sensors front and rear, the list goes on. If you want to match the level of specification cars like the Kia Soul or Nissan Juke You have to spend thousands of pounds more. Perhaps the only criticism we could make is the lack of flexibility or choice - because you are limited to a single trim, you can also pay for all the impressive kit or you can not. No room to mix and match for the things you really need. Some buyers will prefer the simplicity, but if you are not keen to spend quite a lot, Tivoli standards, which come in three trim, is a better choice.

Why buy? Our rating 3/5

If you are after a small SUV that is flexible enough to do many different jobs, strong enough to handle light off-roading or towing, and affordable while still very equipped, Tivoli XLV make a compelling case for itself. A diesel engine is noisy, and the handling of so-so would be a secondary concern for most potential buyers, but if you do not need the extra space, there is more crossover round out there.

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