• Petrol engines offer reasonable fuel economy
• But hybrid-powered rivals are cheaper to run
• Mechanicals have proved to be reliable

What are the running costs?

SsangYong has pitched itself as an affordable brand, but you’ll probably spend the money you save on the Tivoli’s list price at the pump. Now that the company has ditched its fuel-sipping diesel engine, the most economical option is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol – and it’s not all that frugal.

Officially, SsangYong says the engine will return 40.4mpg on the WLTP combined cycle. We haven’t had a go in that one yet, so we’re not sure about the real-world figures. However, the Suzuki S-Cross can easily return 44mpg in everyday driving, even if you hammer around everywhere like Colin McRae. But that’s mild-hybrid technology for you.

SsangYong’s 1.5-litre engine is less frugal than the 1.2-litre unit, returning an official WLTP fuel economy figure of 40.1mpg when coupled with the six-speed manual gearbox and a disappointing 36.9mpg when paired with the automatic. In the real world, though, you won’t get anywhere near these figures.

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Our test car’s trip computer showed an average fuel economy figure of 22.5mpg, which is very poor for a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine – even one without mild-hybrid assistance. Even when driving carefully, the real-time gauge bumbled around the low-to-mid 30mpg region.

We can’t understand how SsangYong has managed it. The Kia XCeed’s 1.5-litre petrol engine can easily return upwards of 40mpg, and that’s not electrically assisted either. So, if fuel economy is near the top of your priority list when buying a new family crossover (and why wouldn’t it be in the current climate?) it might be worth looking elsewhere.

Servicing and warranty

SsangYong claws back a bit of kudos here because the Tivoli is offered with a seven-year/150,000-mile warranty. That’s the same amount of coverage as you get with rival Korean brand Kia and lags only behind Toyota’s industry-leading 10-year package.

Buyers can also opt for SsangYong’s three-year service plan, which covers the cost of the Tivoli’s first three scheduled services and its first MOT for 34 monthly payments of £19.99. You also get two years of RAC extended roadside recovery included in the price.

Reliability

• The Tivoli has proved itself reliable
• Long warranty – so it probably won’t break before that’s up
• Only a couple of minor recalls from launch

It’s clear that SsangYong isn’t concerned about the Tivoli’s reliability, especially when you consider the amount of time the company is prepared to keep the car under warranty. Our owners’ reviews section attests to this – generally, buyers are pleased with the car’s reliability.

There have been a couple of Friday models that have wormed their way on the market, but the issues they’ve had (such as one car needing to be completely rewired) have been covered under warranty. It’s annoying to have the problem fixed, but at least SsangYong held its hands up and admitted its mistakes. And we respect that.

Recalls are few and far between. Some early cars had issues with the fuel pipes in the engine bay. It was a substandard batch of hoses that were liable to crack and leak – and it’s worth checking that the remedial work has been done if you’re buying used.