Ssangyong Tivoli Air

Look who came back from last year, it's Ssangyong's little crossover called the Tivoli but the Tivoli we're seeing it now looks somewhat different from the one we saw last year because the Ssangyong Tivoli you saw now is the longer version, the Air. Tivoli Air.

2017 Ssangyong Tivoli Air

The Air, which is the longer wheelbase version of last year's Tivoli, made a premiere at the recent Geneva International Motor Show, and following its Geneva premiere, Ssangyong quickly made the extended version for sale on the South Korean motoring public. Surprising, eh? But don't get too surprised about the newest Tivoli variant made for those who are in need of more boot space.

2017 Ssangyong Tivoli Air

2017 Ssangyong Tivoli Air

To avoid further confusion between the Air and the regular Tivoli, the new model features a 238mm increase over the base Tivoli, reaching a load capacity of 720 cubic liters of space. It also comes with a different exterior cue that will help differentiate it from the normal Tivoli as well, so you can get a clear idea of which Tivoli is which, although the seating for five people still remains for the newer and longer version of the Tivoli, so you won't feel any difference when you get inside. What's clever about the Air is that the side pockets are big enough to fit a 1.5 liter of your favorite soft drink you bought from your nearest sari-sari store. Seems legit for your next barkada trip but in terms of fun, expect some spoils on this one.

2017 Ssangyong Tivoli Air

The e-XGi160 1.6L engine from the normal Tivoli was carried over to the Air, this time it produces 11PS less than the basic Tivoli, resulting in 115PS of power output and 30.6kg-m of torque, while mated with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic.

Be it front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, even with a multilink suspension setup and three different driving modes, the Tivoli Air feels as cheap as the cheap Korean cars of the last century. It's going to be a tough slob to drive and doesn't feel as refined as its European rivals on the road. It's going to act like that old-school service you've been in since your childhood, clattering from the moment it arrived from your doorstep and still clattering on your way back home after exhausting hours of schoolwork.

Should you buy one? The Tivoli Air starts at 19,490,000 to 24,490,000 Korean Won, making it more pricey to own than the normal Tivoli but with all that price comes a car that sacrifices a few power output for more space at the back and nothing else to be excited about. On the scale of MISS to PERFECT, I believe it should be placed in the BAD position because when you look at it, the new and longer Air model doesn't cut the mustard against the competition and I think this car should do better than that.

That's okay though because with the Tivoli Air, Ssangyong knows how to step their game up after being taken over by the Indians five years ago and they're coming back fighting to the crossover games.

Available colors: Grand White/Black, Silent Silver/Black, Flaming Red/Black, Jazz Brown/Black, Techno Grey/Black, Dandy Blue/White, and Space Black/White.

Photo: Ssangyong Motor Company