What's all this about?

The production-ready SsangYong Tivoli has been revealed in its native South Korea. It's a B-segment SUV/crossover that's designed to try and improve the brand's appeal in European markets.

Is that why it's named after an Italian town?

Yes. Anyway, the good news is that, inside and out, the Tivoli looks like it will be a genuinely credible contender in what is a hotly contested marketplace. The interior in the images looks light years ahead of previous SsangYong efforts while the exterior is thankfully inoffensive enough to not scare horses (we present the Rodius as evidence). All in all, it would appear to be something that you would seriously consider instead of, for example, a Kia Soul.

Can you outline the engine choices?

We can tell you more about the petrol than the diesel, as details on the latter have not been released yet, beyond the fact it will be a 1.6-litre unit. The petrol is also a 1.6, making 126hp at 6,000rpm and 157Nm of torque at 4,600rpm. Fuel economy is quoted as 34.7mpg combined when paired with the six-speed manual gearbox and 33.9mpg for the automatic model with the same number of ratios; the auto is 30kg heavier than the manual.

Any other performance data?

Not as yet, although the suspension set-up is MacPherson struts front and a torsion beam rear and there's three-mode electric power steering too.

So are there any key selling points you'd like to add?

It has a 432-litre boot, which is useful, plenty of modern toys on it and it is likely to be significantly cheaper than most other cars in this sector. SsangYong makes big noises in its bumf about improved quality in the cabin, plus high levels of noise, vibration and harshness suppression. If it drives in a 21st century manner, it could be a bargain crossover.

Matt Robinson - 14 Jan 2015