To see the difference with a facelift, it is very helpful to have the original model clearly on the retina. That is quite a challenge with the SsangYong Tivoli, because the model is very rare in the Netherlands. In an attempt to turn the tide, the updated version includes a more modern front.
It is certainly not the segment in which the Tivoli operates. After all, the Tivoli is a compact crossover and those cars can certainly not be towed in Europe. SsangYong’s smallest model was presented in 2015 and served as a design engineering blueprint for the larger Korando, Rexton and Musso. Typical features are the strongly accentuated front and rear wheel arches, the ‘visor construction’ of the windows and the vertical rear light units.
Lower headlights
The thoroughly renewed Tivoli was already presented in the home country of South Korea in May 2019. The European version followed a few months later and is now available from dealers. At a quick glance, not much seems to have changed, but the well-known ‘sliding plate’ under this article once again proves its usefulness. If you put the cars next to each other, you will see that the headlights are flattened at the top. Where they used to ‘walk around the corner’ at the top and thus actually ended up at the top of the hood, the top is now actually on the front of the car. Logically, to fill in the resulting hole, the hood had to be extended. With the latest Tivoli, the cut-out of the hood therefore makes a striking turn down towards the end, in the corner where until recently the headlight ended.
The rest of the facade is also slightly different. It is not revolutionary, but air intakes, fog lamps and front spoiler are new. On the most expensive versions, SsangYong now also offers LED headlights, although it must be said that these are unfortunately not available in the Netherlands in combination with the new 1.2-liter entry-level engine.
At the rear, SsangYong treats its entry-level model to a set of rear lights with a different layout, with some extra LEDs, although we had to look three times to come to that conclusion. The recess for the license plate seems a bit smaller than before and the bumper gets a black ‘chin’ as a tough accent.
Dashboard
Unlike usual with facelifts, this time the dashboard has also been changed considerably. The rounded center section with vertical vents gives way to a strikingly large, glossy surface that towers high above the rest of the dashboard. In that plane are almost all controls, including a strikingly large touchscreen. In addition to an integrated navigation system, Android Auto and Apple Carplay are also present.