It isn’t difficult to see from where Ssangyong has conjured the Ssangyong Tivoli XLV’s extra space when you see the car in the metal. Rather than going to the expense of making a bespoke platform for its larger model, the firm stuck with the Tivoli’s wheelbase and instead stretched the body behind the C-pillars by 243mm. The effect – as intimated by Ssangyong’s SUV-estate claim – is a plus-sized compact crossover delivering gains in boot size rather than cabin roominess.
The quoted increase in load space is substantial. The Ssangyong Tivoli was already capable of accommodating 423 litres with the rear seats up; the XLV inflates that figure to 720 litres – more than Mercedes-Benz claims for an E-Class Estate.
Granted, that’s measured from floor to roof as opposed to parcel shelf, but even allowing for that, the added length makes it appear to be the class leader by some margin – and therefore, Ssangyong hopes, of interest to the dog walking/avid golfer crowd who value load capacity highly.
Forward of the expanded boot, potential buyers will find the XLV much like the Tivoli – which is to say a predictably conventional prospect.
While its smaller sibling can be bought with a 126bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine, the XLV will be sold in the UK exclusively with a 113bhp e-XDi 160 diesel.
