KGM Motors Tivoli Review & Prices

Every car manufacturer needs a compact SUV to be taken seriously, and the KGM Motors Tivoli is this Korean company’s entrant. KGM is the company formerly known as SsangYong, and the Tivoli was sold as a SsangYong for several years, but has received quite a hefty cosmetic update to go with its new name.

It’s a bit like when a shop rebrands and slaps a new frontage on in a bid to move with the times - but you don’t have to venture far beyond the facade to find out that nothing’s really changed at all.

In the Tivoli’s case, the facelift extends no further than the front grille and some changes to the trim level structure. As a relatively cheap compact SUV, you might consider the KGM Tivoli as an alternative to cars such as the Volkswagen T-Cross, the Citroen C3 Aircross or the upcoming Dacia Duster.

You still get a slightly antiquated-looking interior with buttons haphazardly strewn across the centre console. It does have a reasonable amount of technology - there’s an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with smartphone connectivity on base models, or a 9.0-inch unit with built-in navigation on the upper K40 trim level.

You also get heated seats, a reversing camera, climate and cruise control all as standard, impressive given the Tivoli’s starting price of just over £20,000. 

The Tivoli is pretty spacious for a small SUV - there’s lots of room in the back for adults, and a 427-litre boot that’s bigger than a T-Cross (385 litres) or a C3 Aircross (410 litres), but not as capacious as the new Dacia Duster and its 472-litre space.

There’s only one engine option available for the KGM Tivoli - it’s a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol, which comes with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox. With 163hp on tap, you might expect peppy performance, but SsangYong doesn’t even publish acceleration figures so you can assume it’s actually pretty sluggish. 

It’s not very efficient either - even the manual models claim just 40.1mpg officially, and emit 161g/km. The automatic is much worse, at 36.9mpg and 175g/km - putting these models into the two most expensive bands for company car tax, and ensuring a really hefty first-year road tax bill.

If you’re interested in the KGM Tivoli, check out the latest deals on Carwow here. You could also find used examples from before the manufacturer’s rebrand by browsing our used SsangYong deals - and remember that when the time comes, Carwow can help you sell your old car too.