The SsangYong Tivoli will go on sale in the UK in May
New baby SUV rival for the Nissan Juke shown in Geneva ahead of UK sales starting in May
The SsangYong Tivoli, a rival for the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur, has received its international debut at the Geneva motor show.
The Tivoli is 4.2 metres long, around five centimetres longer than a Nissan Juke. It sits on an all-new platform - the first developed since SsangYong was taken over by Indian industrial giant Mahindra.
The front suspension is McPherson struts, while the rear gets a torsion beam configuration, and the car can be specified with either 16-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels. The Tivoli is a five-seater with a boot capacity of 423 litres - or around 30 litres less than that of a Renault Captur.
The Tivoli will be launched at the start of May with a 1.6-litre normally aspirated petrol engine, and a 1.6 diesel will follow a couple of months later, in July. The petrol motor produces 126bhp and 118lb ft at 4600rpm, and can emit 149g/km of CO2 in two-wheel drive form. It will come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, but a six-speed automatic - the same Aisin unit used by Mini - will also be available with both engines.
The diesel motor, meanwhile, offers 113bhp and 221lb ft, and emits 109g/km of CO2 in two-wheel drive form.
Four-wheel drive will be offered on all editions, too, though only from July. On those models, the suspension is replaced with a multi-link setup.
As with many of the new breed of small SUVs, the Tivoli will be offered with a wide range of customisation options, including a seven-inch colour touchscreen on high-end editions, a contrasting roof colour and, potentially, some bold interior trim finishes - although SsangYong's UK importer has yet to commit to offering them all.
The connectivity options will include a USB socket and, unusually, an HDMI socket that will allow users to play their smartphone video content on the central screen.
Other features available include rain-sensing wipers, a heated steering wheel, heated seats, front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, a "Smart Steer" system with three settings, cruise control and automatic headlights. All Tivolis get seven airbags, including a driver's kneebag.
Speaking at the Korean launch of the car, Mahindra & Mahindra's automotive division boss Pawan Kumar Goenka said: "Nothing can change fortunes of an automotive company faster than the launch of a successful product, and I believe Tivoli has that potential. We believe it will set several new benchmarks in the B-segment SUV category."
UK specifications and pricing are still being finalised, but well placed sources suggest that the Tivoli will start at less than £13,000 for an entry-level two-wheel-drive petrol manual edition, rising to just under £20,000 for a top-spec automatic four-wheel-drive diesel.
SsangYong says the Tivoli will add an extra 100,000 units to its annual production output. The company previewed the look of the new Tivoli with the XIV-Adventure and XIV-Air concept cars at the 2014 Paris motor show.
Read the Autocar first drive review of the Ssangyong Tivoli
Read more Geneva motor show news
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