Out Of Seemingly Nowhere, Ssangyong Produce A Timely Compact SUV - Tivoli | Geneva Motor Show 2015

The SUV craze continues.

Here is yet another small SUV, with economical 1.6 petrol or diesel engines, oodles of standard equipment and a dash of style. There's plenty of room inside too and the higher driving position that everyone seems to love right now. Look the picture below and you could be forgiven for thinking that this comes from any one of the major Japanese or European manufacturers.

Yet, this is actually a Ssangyong. The recently resurgent Korean brand, now in the hands of India's Mahindra, have produced their first truly all-new vehicle in several years. Bang on trend, the Tivoli is exactly the sort of shot-in-the-arm every maker is scrabbling to produce right now. Seemingly a similar size to the Nissan Juke and with sharp styling (which, from the rear at least, reminds us of the Mini Countryman, slightly), Ssangyong are poised to dramatically increase sales.

The interior looks good, especially upon first impressions. sadly, the ergonomics are a little off. There are so many different types of button, sprayed everywhere. The heater controls are too low-down, almost hidden, and almost every single button has a different texture to it. I image you will learn over the fullness of time, but it is definitely overly cluttered. On the flip side, for a car of reasonably small dimensions, there is plenty of space and remember, the Trivoli is set to be cheaper than an equivalent Nissan Juke.

Ultimately, this won’t increase Ssangyong’s pricing position in the market, but this timely product has more than enough style to win over people who have never considered one of the brand’s previous offerings.

See more pictures from the Geneva Show on our Instagram

Why not read: Heady Times At Mitsubishi, More SUV's En Route! | XR PHEV II & L200 | Geneva International Motor Show 2015

We have moved. Oh yes. You can now find our motor show related ramblings over at https://theautoshowvisitor.com/