SsangYong’s Tivoli facelift adds new gasoline engine, colors

South Korean SUV maker SsangYong Motor on Tuesday launched the sale of its facelifted Tivoli, a B-segment crossover that has taken the No. 1 spot in the category in recent years.

Introduced in 2015, the compact SUV has a new 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine, a larger digital interface and more body colors, in an effort to lure young drivers looking for their first cars, officials said.

SsangYong takes pride in the new gasoline engine, as it was strategically developed to make the Tivoli stronger and faster, they added.

The 1.5-liter turbo engine makes peak horsepower of 163 at 5,500 revolutions per minute and peak torque of 26.5 kilogram-meter, while the 1.6-liter diesel engine produces a maximum of 136 horsepower at 4,000 rpm. The two engines are paired with six-speed automatic transmission manufactured by Japanese car parts maker AISIN AW, the company said.

SsangYong also placed a full light-emitting diode headlamp at the front and rear, to create a sporty look and enhance driving convenience.

The carmaker applied 13 sensor technologies, including lane change assistance and a blind spot detector, to increase passenger safety as well as a 9-inch high definition screen -- the largest in the B-segment category -- to provide high quality entertainment content. Two new body colors -- platinum grey and cherry red -- have been added to Tivoli’s color palette.

Price ranges from 16.78 million won ($14,205) to 23.55 million won for the Tivoli with gasoline engines. Tivoli diesel is priced slightly higher, from 20.55 million won to 25.35 million won.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)