Road test: 2016 Ssangyong Tivoli

Ssangyong is launching a small SUV with big ideas.

The new Ssangyong Tivoli is being pitched against market rivals such as Renault’s Captur and Nissan’s Qashqai. Courtesy Ssangyong

Standing under a blue sky dotted with the occasional fluffy white cloud, I’m surrounded by the magnificence of Hadrian’s Villa, in the town of Tivoli, just outside Rome. The sheer scale of the place is staggering. Larger than the entire city of Pompeii, the villa had its own military, public gym and a sprawling market, full of visiting merchants.

The entire site is one man’s statement of wealth and power. Anyone popping in for a cup of tea with the emperor would have been left in no doubt about who was wearing the trousers in Rome.

I do wonder what the emperor would have made then of the sight of a Korean car parked on his lawn that shares its name with the nearby town, with the world’s motoring media gathering around it for a look.

The car is from Korea’s least-known car company. But that may be about to change for Ssangyong. This new small SUV, the Tivoli, marks the company’s quest to target the European market, as well the wider world.

To give you an idea of positioning, the Tivoli has been directly targeted at the Renault Captur and Nissan Qashqai market, which is a potentially highly lucrative segment.

This isn’t new territory for Ssangyong, because the brand actually has a long history of building SUVs, starting with the CJ in 1954 and, more recently, the controversial-but-popular Korando.

This new car features a 1.6L diesel or petrol engine, a six-speed manual or auto box, all combining to hit Euro 6 emission levels. That may not yet have much relevance in the Gulf, but in Europe, that will make the establishment sit up and take notice.

From the outside, the Tivoli has hints of a number of other cars, including from various angles, the Range Rover Evoque, Skoda Fabia and various Mini models. The result is a neat and clean-looking car, which still has enough design cues to remain interesting.

It comes with all-round LED lights, chrome accents, pumped-up wheel arches and roof rails – everything you’d expect to see on a small SUV of this nature.

Sitting behind the wheel, it’s no Evoque, but it’s well-built and everything you touch has a quality feel. I particularly like the stitching on the leather, which feels like it has been lifted from a much higher level of car.

In the centre console sits a seven-inch TV display, incorporating a rear-view camera and access to all of the Tivoli’s array of features. You can choose between a whopping six different lighting colours for the clocks. I guess you can pick to suit your mood.

In the rear, there’s plenty of headroom and legroom, even with the front seats more than halfway back. The boot is also huge. According to Ssangyong, it’s 423 litres, which is the best in its class. There’s also loads of storage dotted around the car, which is perfect for our modern obsession with phones, tablets, wallets, purses and man bags.

Ssangyong is also planning a long-wheelbase version in the near future, which will go down well in the region. No word on actual dates for that model.

On the road, it has the legs you’d expect from a car in this class and an engine of this size. No, it’s not quick, but it’s equal to its competition, which is more important. The suspension is compliant, but not too soft, striking a happy medium.

The gearbox isn’t refined, but also won’t upset you. The shift button on the auto is a tiny switch on the side of the stick, which you flick up or down. It’s not dynamic in any way, and perhaps needs a rethink, but if that’s the worst problem it can throw up, then it’s doing rather well.

So will the Tivoli be a success? The answer to that question is actually in the hands of Ssangyong. The car itself is good looking, well-made, perfectly acceptable to drive, and perhaps more importantly, it’s easy to like. That’s all good, but people won’t know that if they don’t know the car exists. Ssangyong hasn’t just been quiet on the marketing front in the past; it’s been scarily silent.

The brand needs a major marketing campaign, a lot of noise and some serious effort in getting it front of mind. People narrow down their purchasing decisions on practicalities, but the final nod usually becomes an emotive buy. To win, you need to be known.

If Ssangyong gets that right, then they’re on to a winner. The Gulf market loves a soft-roader with a bit of spark, and the Tivoli certainly has that in abundance. Get people behind the wheel, and they’ll be surprised and impressed.

Perhaps even the old Roman emperor Hadrian would have been moved, despite the tyre marks on his lawn.

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