SsangYong Tivoli review

The SsangYong Tivoli is worthy of note for a couple of reasons. It was the first compact SUV from a brand known for large and fairly agricultural 4x4s and since its launch in 2015 has become the South Korean firm’s best-selling model.

It has since been joined by all-new versions of the brand’s bigger Rexton and Korado 4x4s and the Musso pick-up but remains the brand’s star performer, despite being nearly six years old.

Some bigger brands might launch an all-new car in that timeframe but, with limited resources, that’s not an option for SsangYong so, instead, last year the Tivoli got a bit of a facelift and some tinkering beneath the surface.

The update brought relatively minor changes to the exterior, with a new grille and lighting design the biggest differences. So, as before, the Tivoli won’t be competing for any beauty prizes thanks to its fairly boxy and uninspiring looks.

Under the bonnet, a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is another new addition and it’s surprisingly powerful for the size of the car - 160bhp from the 1.5-litre gives it an on-paper advantage over a lot of rivals. However, it still feels old fashioned and relatively unrefined in operation and, especially with our test car’s six-speed auto box, economy is a real weakness. Official figures are 36.7mpg and 175g/km, but our test average was just 33mpg - pretty poor in a segment where many others manage mid-40s with ease.

In its defence, the similarly priced MG ZS has significantly less power without much advantage in the economy stakes while the 44mpg