In days gone by I’d have only gone out in a Ssangyong in the dark...

And that’s certainly true for Ssangyong.

The South Korean manufacturer has lived in the shadow of rivals Kia and Hyundai, but a recent rebranding of its models has brought it out of those shadows and into the spotlight.

The Tivoli is an all-new small SUV to rival the likes of the Nissan Juke.

That’s a lofty aim, but the intent is genuine.

First impressions are favourable. I’d only just taken delivery when a passer-by and his son first queried just what it was, following it up with: “That’s really nice.”

I doubt they’d have said the same about the much maligned Rexton or Rodius.

The Tivoli – which spells, incorrectly it must be said, I Lov It backwards – is powered by either a 1.6 litre diesel or 1.6 litre petrol engine. The latter puts out around 126bhp, while the former has around 113bhp. Both are available with either a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox. Torque-on-demand 4x4 is also available.

We tested the petrol with the automatic gearbox and found it responsive from the off, but ran out of puff somewhat when called upon on the motorway.

Driven sensibly bends don’t present too much of an issue for the Tivoli, though when pushed hard a lack of grip becomes apparent.

The ride could be improved, but generally I didn’t have too much cause for complaint.

On the inside: THE interior of the Tivoli presented another pleasant surprise. The two-tone decor grew on me and the dash and centre console have a fresh feel to them. There’s good use of inserts to break everything up and the equipment is of decent quality.

The driver’s seating position gives a good view of the road ahead and the seats themselves are very comfortable.

What do you get: GIVEN that it has to mix it with some illustrious competition, standards of equipment are understandably high. There are three trim levels, SE, EX and ELX. Our ELX badged car has an instrument cluster that changes colour according to your mood, a 7ins touch screen with TomTom satellite navigation, leather seats, dual zone air conditioning with memory feature, steering wheel audio controls, push button starting system, rear view camera and front and rear parking sensors. In addition, there’s cruise control, smart steering, which allows you to match steering effort to driving style, 18ins alloys, privacy glass and electric windows front and rear among other features.

How practical is it: THE Tivoli has a spacious cabin by sector standards with plenty of room for five. The boot has 423 litres of space with the seats up, Ssangyong saying that’s enough to carry three golf bags – the standard motoring unit of currency. There also enough little cubbies and bins to keep other items stowed away.

Running costs: IT should be possible to get around 50mpg on the combined cycle from our test car. We managed closer to 45mpg. CO2 emissions are 167g/km, not something you would want to highlight. All cars come with a five-year limitless mileage warranty.

Verdict: A PLEASANT surprise – see if you can be won over too.

Alternatives: Nissan Juke, Renault Captur