A facelifted version of SsangYong Tivoli, the car which spawned the Mahindra XUV300, has been spotted testing without any camouflage in India. The Tivoli compact crossover has been on sale in global markets long enough to warrant a mid-life refresh, and this LHD test mule spotted on Salem-Coimbatore highway gives us a fair idea about the cosmetic changes.
The 2020 SsangYong Tivoli will receive a redesigned front fascia with larger grille, new bumper with circular foglamps, and new headlamp clusters. The changes would make the refreshed Tivoli look pretty similar to the larger Korando which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show last month. Based on the previous spy shots from Australia, we expect the rear fascia also to undergo noticeable revision.
Though the Tivoli is not earmarked for India, the South Korean automaker and its parent Mahindra & Mahindra work together to develop future products (shared platforms and powertrains). Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai plays an active role in developing the new powertrain range for both Mahindra and SsangYong products.
It is being reported that the Tivoli facelift for international markets would ditch its 1.6-liter petrol engine in favor of a 1.2-liter turbocharged petrol motor. It is to be noted that this motor is already employed in Mahindra XUV300. The Tivoli test mule could be testing the new motor which is developed in India with inputs from SsangYong. 2020 SsangYong Tivoli SUV is expected to make global debut later this year. It was spied in Europe back in Dec 2018.
On board the Mahindra XUV300, the turbo petrol mill is tuned to deliver 110 bhp and 200 Nm of torque. The Tivoli is expected to use a slightly more powerful version of this motor. The Tivoli’s old 1.6-liter 115 bhp diesel engine is also expected to be replaced by the Mahindra XUV300’s newer 1.5-liter unit which has identical power output.
The SsangYong Tivoli facelift will continue to have Europe as its primary market. The updated crossover is slated to reach showrooms in second half of 2019. Soon after the Tivoli, the longer XLV derivative would also receive similar updates. The Tivoli competes with the likes of Nissan Juke, Suzuki Vitara, Mazda CX-3, Jeep Renegade, etc., in Europe. Back at home, the Tivoli-based Mahindra XUV300 sub-4m SUV has started off reasonably well.
