Ssangyong’s compact SUV, the Tivoli, has been spotted testing on Indian roads for the first time. The Mahindra-owned manufacturer sells only the Rexton SUV in India and has been contemplating the launch of the Tivoli for some time now.
The Ssangyong Tivoli is about 4200mm long and will compete with the Renault Duster, Hyundai Creta and the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross in the Indian market. From the photographs, the car does not look tall and burly like the Duster or the Creta. It looks more of a big hatchback like the Maruti S-Cross. The cabin looks spacious enough to seat five people in comfort.
The Tivoli will get the new 1.6-litre mFalcon series of petrol and diesel engines that Mahindra had announced at the KUV100 launch. Both the engines will be mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Knowing Ssangyong, the Tivoli will boast of a long list of features like automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, climate control et al.
Mahindra may have expedited the Tivoli product plan owing to the diesel car ban in the capital city and the speculations of more such rulings due to the rising pollution issues. We expect the Tivoli to be showcased at the Auto-Expo and readied for a mid-2016 launch.
