If Dacia is too cheap and German brands are too expensive, maybe you should join Ssangyong look around. The models of the Koreans are priced far below the level of Opel and VW, in the quality and features, however, they have much more than the stressed cheap Romanians to offer. The Tivoli for example stands for an attractive price-performance ratio for this middle ground, despite certain rough edges.
The latter can be found quite numerous in the slightly idiosyncratic sheet dress of Tivoli. Actually, it's a compact model, but thanks to the SUV-inspired design, the smallest ssangyong offers a trendy crossover aura. However, the theme was interpreted in a special way, which is why the car has its own distinctive look.
Unlike a typical SUV to climb, you can get into the Tivoli as in a normal car. And there you can look forward to a surprisingly generous amount of space. Leg and headroom are perfectly in both series. On the wide back seat you can even sit reasonably well in threes, especially since the average passenger knows thanks to the shallow transmission tunnel also where he should go with his feet. The boot initially offers a very small upper area, in which a removable intermediate floor with the high sill ends. If you take this out and push the backrest a bit forward, the luggage compartment grows to 423 liter. If you then reverse the backrest, the maximum volume increases to a respectable 1.115 liters.
The Tivoli convinced in view of his only just 4,20 meter long body not only with space economy, but also still with good quality. The multi-adjustable front seats, for example, offer stylish textile covers and good lateral support. The ubiquitous hard plastic is of a consistently handsome style. In addition, everything fits together very well. And who has higher demands on the feel, is spoiled by soft surfaces on the dashboard and a particularly grippy leather steering wheel. The latter was even heated in our test copy. An easy-to-read workplace and many practical things round off the positive impression.
Speaking of heating: Here revealed our equipped with the manual air conditioning Tivoli a few weaknesses. Although the control unit with a central rotary switch clear, the handling but a bit getting used to. It was even annoying to start with frost, because once the disc has been freed from ice, it fogs immediately from the inside. A spontaneous start was then not possible, even if the blower powerful roar. It takes a few long minutes for the ventilation to create clear conditions here. When starting to work, you should therefore plan on cold winter days, a time extra cushion.
An extra cushion for the seats would sometimes not bad, because a litter is not the front-wheel drive SUV. In addition to the sporty, tight tuning, the optional 18 inch wheels with low-profile tires also cause a certain amount of restlessness, which can sometimes be annoying. A spinal killer is not the Koreans, however. And in return, the Tivoli beats quite well even with accelerated curve speed. He looks a bit stiff and sticky when turning in, but the little Ssangyong is quite susceptible to a brisk curve. Strong front and rear disc brakes and a contemporary package of active safety systems are the necessary confidence-building framework.
If one refrains from a slight Anfahrschwäche and the somewhat hakeligen six-speed circuit, and the nutty 1,6-liter diesel a brisker driving style is by no means averse. After all, 300 Newtonmeter drag from 1.500 tours on the front wheels, without overstraining it. The 85 KW / 115 PS strong four-cylinder can balance the 1,4-tonner in twelve seconds on speed 100, maximum 175 km / h are in it. The speedometer needle occasionally drove to almost 200 km / h. Thanks to high-speed ambitions, large wheels and the constant use of air conditioning and seat heating, the optimistic 4,3 liters of standard fuel consumption have practically reached six liters. An acceptable value, especially since the optional automatic start-stop system was not on board at our Tivoli.
But for the Tomtom Navisystem, which in view of the 600 Euro surcharge quite a recommendation. The control logic on the large touchscreen is a little bit different, but with the trial-and-error-method you can get out of the way quickly and the Navi is the decisive hint to the desired destination.
The diesel Tivoli with pure front-wheel drive costs in the medium equipment we tested Quartz 21.500 Euro, 2.000 Euro come for Navi, winter package (including steering wheel heating) and the fashion package (including 18-inch wheels) on top. Basically included in the purchase price is a five-year limited warranty from Ssangyong. Thus, the Tivoli is good 6.000 Euro more expensive than a comparably equipped Dacia Duster, but also good 6.000 Euro cheaper than a similarly stocked Opel Mocha X.
Conclusion
Plenty of space, convincing quality, powerful diesel, good equipment, a five-year warranty and an attractive price-performance ratio speak for the Tivoli. Only the operation of the manual air conditioning and a rather tight suspension have the largely positive impression somewhat clouded. But ultimately, the package that Tivoli offers under a striking façade is the right one. (Mario Hommen / SP-X)