The SsangYong Tivoli is the first compact SUV to come from the company and could make it to India as well, once the right-hand drive version is ready by mid-2015.
Showcased as the XIV Adventure concept at last year’s Paris Motor Show, the SsangYong Tivoli compact SUV has been finally launched in its home market South Korea priced at 16.3 million Korean Won (Rs. 9.3 lakhs). The first compact SUV to be developed by the Mahindra owned company, the Tivoli marks a new direction in SsangYong’s future being a completely new launch in years and happens to incorporate a host new technology processes and equipment that will be seen on the future set of offerings from the company.
The 2015 SsangYong Tivoli comes very close to the XIV Adventure concept in terms of aesthetics and emulates a stylish and urban design language. Clearly targeted at a young set of buyers, the urban appearance is coupled with muscular wheel arches and pronounced shoulders at the rear that provide a brawny appearance on the compact SUV. Measuring 4195 mm in length, the compact SUV is fairly long, while cabin space has been maximized with a wheelbase of 2600 mm. SsangYong states that the Tivoli is the widest vehicle in its segment measuring 1795 mm.
On the inside, the SsangYong Tivoli gets a pleasing cabin that has been designed to give a lounge like appearance. The interior is available in a choice of 3 colours – black, beige and red with the latter targeted to give a sporty feel. You also get a flat-bottom steering wheel, semi-bucket seats, 6-colour 3.5-inch touchscreen display and automatic climate control. In addition, the Smart Steer function allows you to control steering effort in 3 modes namely Normal, Comfort and Sport (similar to the one seen on the Hyundai Santa Fe). The boot capacity is measured at 423-litres, which can be expanded courtesy of the full-flat foldable rear seats.
The 2015 SsangYong Tivoli is also the first offering from the company to use 70 percent of high tensile strength steel in its construction that ensures high rigidity and light weight. The light body is paired to the newly developed 1.6-litre petrol e-XGi 160 engine which is tuned to produce 126 PS and 157 Nm of torque for better performance. The engine is available with manual as well as automatic transmission options and the 2nd generation AISIN auto box is said to be as quick and efficient as a dual-clutch unit. In terms of fuel efficiency, the SUV can achieve 12.3 km/l on the manual and 12 km/l on the automatic versions (Korean cycle) and comes loaded with safety tech like 7 airbags, ABS, ESP, Tyre Pressure Monitory system, LED DRLs and much more on offer.
The 2015 SsangYong Tivoli has been developed with an investment of 350 Korean Won over 3.5 years and SsangYong plans to sell up to 1 lakh units every year, of which 40,000 units will be exported to other markets. An interesting offering, the Tivoli could also make it to Indian shores later this year once the right-hand drive version is ready by mid-2015. Mahindra could reduce the length of the compact SUV by 200 mm to maximise on the small car excise duty benefit.
2015 SsangYong Tivoli Prices (South Korea) –
* SsangYong Tivoli TX M/T – 16.3 million Korean Won (Rs. 9.3 lakhs)
* SsangYong Tivoli TX A/T – 17.9 million Korean Won (Rs. 10.22 lakhs)
* SsangYong Tivoli VX – 19.9 million Korean Won (Rs. 11.36 lakhs)
* SsangYong Tivoli LX – 22.2-23.7 million Korean Won (Rs. 12.68 – 13.53 lakhs)
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