FRANKFURT: Even Ssangyong was flabbergasted. The newly launched Tivoli compact SUV has been nominated for World Car of The Year (WCOTY) 2016, the first-ever nomination for the Korean car maker.
Just 20 new cars have been nominated for the 2016 World Car of the Year title, which is independently recognised as the number one car award in the world.
Now in its 11th year, WCOTY was established in 2005, and the 2016 winner will be announced in New York in late March next year.
“This is a huge accolade for the Tivoli and SsangYong,” said SsangYong Motor UK CEO Paul Williams. “Suffice to say, we are absolutely delighted!”
The petrol-powered Tivoli was launched in South Korea earlier this year, and internationally in May. Tivoli diesel is being launched internationally at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week.
The Tivoli is SsangYong's all-new model since it was acquired by India's Mahindra Group.
The global trend has been towards increasing demand for eco-friendly and highly fuel-efficient cars, and to meet this, Tivoli promises highly competitive fuel economy and CO2 emission levels.
SsangYong is hoping that the new model will help it compete with the major automotive manufacturers and increase its market share, not just in the SUV B-segment but also in the whole SUV market including Europe.
Resulting from 42 months of development and an investment of 350 billion Korean won (280 million Euros), the car will compete strongly on design and reliability, safety, interior space, practicality, as well as and the availability of all-wheel drive which will differentiate it from other SUVs in the sector.
Drawing on the company’s considerable expertise in designing and manufacturing diesel engines, the new 1.6 litre eXDi160 diesel unit offers strong performance, and is also environmentally clean and quiet. There is also a newly developed 1.6 litre e-XGI160 petrol engine designed for fuel efficiency, and both engines can be combined with the choice of manual or automatic transmission, and either a 2-wheel or 4-wheel drive system.
Passenger safety has been a top priority for this car, and Tivoli offers best in class standards by including seven airbags - front passenger, side and curtain airbags plus a driver’s knee airbag. There is also multi-function ESP (Electronic Stability Program), Active Rollover Protection, Brake Assist, Hill Start Assist and ESS (Emergency Stop Signal), a tyre pressure monitoring system and a warning reminder on all five seat belt positions.
The new car takes its name from Tivoli, the Italian town near Rome with a reputation for style. Noted for its cultural heritage and beautiful location, the gardens at Villa d’Este have inspired many others to use the name, including the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. The new model gives the car an international standing, while complementing SsangYong’s heritage as a specialist SUV brand.
