Volkswagen Tiguan VS Ssangyong Tivoli
Volkswagen Tiguan
Likes
- Fun to drive
- Big design and tech upgrade
- Practical, spacious interior
Dislikes
- No new hybrid powertrains (yet)
- Base price will go up
- Touch-based climate
Ssangyong Tivoli
Likes
- Pricing
- Warranty
- Interior space
Dislikes
- No ANCAP rating
- Feels underpowered
- Not as refined as some rivals
Summary
Volkswagen Tiguan
Without a doubt, this is Volkswagen’s most important new vehicle.
Roughly eight million Tiguan mid-size SUVs have been sold since the nameplate came into existence in 2007, and the one we’re looking at for this review is the first new-from-the-ground-up version in eight years.
While it might look familiar from the outside, don’t be fooled. This third generation car is significantly different inside and underneath with upgrades the brand will need for it to stay relevant against an increasing array of hybrid traditional rivals and newcomers from China.
Does the 2025 Tiguan have what it takes to be your next family hauler? Stick with us as we find out.
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| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.4L |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | —L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Ssangyong Tivoli
SsangYong is looking to crash-tackle Australia’s small SUV market segment with its competitively priced, feature-packed Tivoli as part of its brand relaunch here. A seven-year warranty is also set to make the Tivoli even more appealing.
SsangYong Australia is SsangYong’s first fully owned factory subsidiary outside of Korea and the Tivoli is part of its four-model push to re-establish itself as a brand worth your car-buying bucks.
So can the Tivoli get a foothold in an already-busy small SUV segment, loaded with the likes of Mazda CX-3 and Mitsubishi ASX? Read on.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.6L |
| Fuel Type | Regular Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 6.6L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Volkswagen Tiguan7.9/10
It's a hard to deliver a definitive verdict yet, because we’re still some way out from the Tiguan’s local arrival.
Expect a pricier mid-size SUV, but one which leans into its best traits as a semi-premium option, with a stellar cabin and a significant tech upgrade. What sets it apart in such a crowded segment is its ability to appeal to the keen driver, although it’s a shame Australia will miss out on some of the more ambitious and modern powertrain options available overseas, at least initially.
For now though, consider us impressed.
Tune back in in the second quarter of 2025 for all the details on the Tiguan’s local launch and pricing.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
Ssangyong Tivoli6.9/10
The Tivoli is an all-round, reasonable small SUV – comfortable inside, and okay to look at and drive – but SsangYong is hoping that its drive-away pricing and seven-year warranty is enough to set the Tivoli apart from some of its more modern-looking rivals.
As is, the Ultimate AWD is the pick of the bunch.
The Tivoli is a pretty good value-for-money prospect, but the updated, facelifted Tivoli, due here in Q2 2019, might be an even more appealing proposition.
What do you think of the Tivoli? Tell us what you reckon in the comments section below.
Design
Volkswagen Tiguan
There’s a lot of familiarity with this new Tiguan. It doesn’t stray far from the sturdy, boxy, but pragmatic shape of the current car, at least at a distance.
Up closer, though, it’s clear there are some significant changes this time around. The previous car’s hard and angular character lines have been replaced by curvy finishes over the top of the wheel arches, paired with heavier contours down the doors and across the nose.
The face has dumped the previous chrome highlights, moving the grille lower and replacing the horizontal strips which used to sit behind the VW badge with a solid plastic bar (incorporating an LED light) running across the top.
The grille has been moved lower, and chrome has largely been replaced with gloss black and matt silver finishes. While the outgoing car was attractive in a relatively conservative way this new Tiguan makes more of a statement.
Round the back, expect a similar contemporary translucent plastic light-bar treatment to marry the rear two light fittings, with the VW badge taking pride of place alongside the TIGUAN typeface, as is the current trend.
Design elements carried over in the rear three-quarter include the shape of the rear side windows, the tough extruded bumper and the little roof-mounted spoiler. Trendy aerodynamically-styled wheel choices round out its modern appeal.
Perhaps the strangest thing about this design is how it somehow manages to make the Tiguan look smaller where most next-gen designs make new cars look much larger than their predecessors. There’s something subtle about it.
Inside is a radical departure from the now significantly dated outgoing vehicle. The somewhat drab greyscale dash, which was also strangely upright, has been replaced by something much more intriguing.
A huge piano black panel defines the character line of the dash, housing the air vents, dashboard, and new ambient lighting, sitting behind the enormous pride-of-place 15-inch media screen.
VW clearly heard the audience and for this car has put a major focus on tech. The new software to match looks much better, the screen is sharp and fast, and as usual the brand’s digital dash is easily one of the best on the market.
Swapping out old switchgear has also allowed for a more contemporary, pared-back centre console with the nicely-designed steering wheel carrying across. EV-like controls from the ID series take their place on the steering column.
This is not a car you can judge from several metres away. This is a car that's been well and truly launched into the 2020s.
Ssangyong Tivoli7/10
The Tivoli, named after the Italian town near Rome, is a neat-looking little buzzbox, with a touch of the Mini Countryman about it, as well as a healthy dash of chunky retro styling.
While it may not be the most exciting thing around to look at, it sits low and squat and certainly has a nice presence to it. Take a look at the accompanying photos and make up your own mind.
Practicality
Volkswagen Tiguan
The previous Tiguan was always notable for how spacious its cabin was, and for the most part that pragmatic approach continues.
The re-designed seats proved comfortable over the significant amount of time we spend behind the wheel traversing central Germany, and while it feels a little smaller inside due to the much busier design of the dash, there’s plenty of room for even tall adults given the cabin's height and width.
As usual with Tiguan, it’s easy to find a comfortable and sporty seating position, and the touchpoints are all excellent with much less hard plastic in the doors and centre console.
Each door offers an enormous pocket and bottle holder, and the new car gets a two-tiered shelf design in the centre console, housing a wireless charger below.
A single multi-function dial can control either audio volume or drive mode with a quick press, and without additional switchgear. There is a versatile set of bottle holders and a centre console armrest box behind.
The huge screen is oriented towards the driver. In the pictures it looks like too much, but it’s somehow low enough and the software largely has clever shortcuts to minimise distraction.
The most unfortunate feature of the screen, though, is the requirement to control the climate via touch sliders or a screen-based menu.
If only the brand had committed to giving us two more dials to control the climate zones or fan speed as appear in its Skoda relations. Still, it’s a significant step-up from the outgoing car.
The back seat offers heaps of room for myself, at 182cm tall, behind my own driving position. The generous seat claddings continue (as usual for a VW), with adjustable air vents, a rear climate zone and USB-C ports offered on the back of the console for rear passengers.
Lovely soft trims continue in the doors, and there are a set of three pockets on the back of each front seat, good for phones, tablets, or whatever you can think of.
Boot space measures in at an enormous 652 litres, proving VW found a significant amount of space somewhere in this new design.
Need more? The second row is on rails, so if you’re not using it, or you’re using it for kids who don’t need the legroom, you can boost the load space even further.
Ssangyong Tivoli7/10
For a small SUV, it feels like there’s a fair bit of functional space inside the Tivoli.
Interior width is 1795mm and it feels like designers have pushed that room right out to the fringes – up and out – because there’s plenty of head and shoulder room for driver and passengers, including those in the back seat. The ergonomic D-shaped leather steering wheel, crisp instrument cluster, quilt-stitch trim and semi-bucket-style leather seats also add up to a real premium feel for the cabin, and the multi-media unit is easy enough to use.
The Tivoli’s storage spaces include an iPad-sized spot in the centre console, glove box and inner tray, an open tray, twin cupholders, door bulges for bottles, and a luggage tray.
Rear luggage space in the Ultimate is a claimed 327 cubic litres because of its full-size spare tyre under the floor; it’s 423 litres in lower specs with space-saver spares.
The second-row seats (a 60/40 split) are rather supportive for a back pew.
Price and features
Volkswagen Tiguan
Australian deliveries of the new-generation Tiguan were still a while away at the time of writing, so we don’t have precise pricing and specifications to share just yet. However, the brand’s Australian division tells us to expect a similar grade walk to the outgoing car.
This will likely mean three key variants tied to three drivetrain options. We know for now the incoming base version will retain the same 110TSI engine, but will take a significant hike in standard equipment, while the next two variants up will use upgraded engines, a mid-spec 150TSI and a top-spec 195TSI.
The bad news is Volkswagen says it will be fair to expect a price-hike on base versions, what we understand is “closer to the $50K mark”, while the outgoing car starts from $43,990, before on-road costs.
The good news is the standard equipment is “more in-line with what the VW customer expects” according to the brand, with the main problem not being price, but apparently buyers wanting things like standard leather seats and upgraded cabin tech with the more basic engine.
Next up, the 150TSI 2.0-litre all-wheel drive will replace the outgoing 132TSI, and at the top of the range, the most important R-Line grade (which VW sells the highest proportion of) will also get a significant boost, not only with the 195TSI engine (up from the current 162TSI), but also new equipment.
Across its grades, the new Tiguan will have access to new-generation matrix LED headlights, large alloy wheel choices, and a 15-inch multimedia screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There is also a completely overhauled software suite, with a new version of the VW's renowned digital dash cluster, and you can expect impressive spec highlights from the current vehicle, like tri-zone climate control, to continue over.
And this third-generation car also scores completely re-designed seats, revised ambient lighting, a new head-up display and extended soft-touch materials throughout the cabin to solidify its semi-premium market positioning.
Stay tuned closer to the new Tiguan’s arrival in Australia in the second quarter of 2025 for full local pricing and specs. That said, the cars we drove for this review were largely representative of what we might see land on our shores.
Ssangyong Tivoli7/10
There are six variants in the 2019 Tivoli range: base-spec 2WD EX with a 1.6-litre petrol engine (94kW and 160Nm) and six-speed manual gearbox ($23,490); 2WD EX with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and six-speed automatic ($25,490); mid-spec 2WD ELX with a 1.6-litre petrol and six-speed auto ($27,490); 2WD ELX with a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine (85kW and 300Nm) and six-speed auto ($29,990); AWD Ultimate with a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel and six-speed auto ($33,990); and top-spec two-tone paint AWD Ultimate 1.6-litre turbo-diesel and six-speed auto ($34,490).
We drove the two-tone Ultimate at the launch of the new range.
As standard, every Tivoli has a 7.0-inch touchscreen media system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, auto emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning (FCW), reversing camera, and seven airbags.
The EX gets leather-covered steering wheel, telescopic steering, fabric seats, front/rear park assist, lane-departure warning (LDW), lane keep assist (LKA), high-beam assist (HBA), and 16-inch alloy wheels.
The ELX also gets the optional 1.6-litre diesel, roof rails, luggage screen, dual-zone air-conditioning, tinted glass, and HID headlamps.
The Ultimate gets AWD, leather seats, powered/heated/vented front seats, sun roof, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a full-size spare tyre. The Ultimate 2-Tone, as indicated, gets the two-tone colour package.
Every SsangYong has a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, seven years’ roadside assistance and a seven-year service-price plan.
Note: There were no petrol versions of the Tivoli to drive at the launch. The Tivoli XLV, an extended body version of the Tivoli, was not available for testing at the launch, either. An updated, facelifted Tivoli is due here in Q2 2019.
Under the bonnet
Volkswagen Tiguan
In some ways, I don’t envy our European friends, who can choose from a whopping eight different drivetrain permutations in the new Tiguan range.
However, again there’s good and bad news for the Australian market.
The bad news is we won’t see the new and more efficient 1.5-litre mild-hybrid engine option which is the base version (and one of the cars we drove) in Germany.
We also won’t see the surprisingly finely-tuned diesel versions, and we also won’t see the great new plug-in hybrid version, at least not at launch.
With this out of the way, what we can expect is a familiar line-up. The 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine (110TSI) will carry over from the outgoing vehicle, producing 110kW/250Nm, a new mid-spec engine, producing 150kW/320Nm, and a new top-spec engine (dropped out of the Golf GTI, no less) producing 195kW/400Nm.
As usual, expect all three options to be mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
It's a shame the local division isn’t ambitious enough to launch with the next-gen plug-in hybrid version, which pairs the new 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with a big 25kWh battery for an estimated 100km electric driving range.
It also brings with it robust charging specs, like an 11kW AC inverter (for a slow charge time of two hours on a compatible charger) and even the ability to charge on DC at 50kW (for a fast-charge time in half an hour).
Our experience in a German-market example proves one of the other benefits of this powertrain, which is a fuel-efficient hybrid mode even when the battery is drained.
Perhaps it’s a story of petitioning your dealer for one if you want it. No doubt the brand will be listening to on-the-ground feedback post-launch.
Ssangyong Tivoli6/10
The 1.6-litre petrol engine produces 94kW at 6000rpm and 160Nm at 4600rpm.
The 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine punches out 85kW from 3400-4000rpm and 300Nm from 1500-2500rpm.
The diesel donk and six-speed auto generally work okay together, although on a few fast-blast, bendy back roads, the Tivoli was heading up a gear when it should have grabbed a lower one.
Efficiency
Volkswagen Tiguan
Given the engines will be familiar don't expect any radical changes when it comes to fuel consumption.
We don’t have official WLTP-certified figures yet because the 1.4-litre 110TSI and 2.0-litre 150TSI engines aren’t even in production in the new body yet, but it's fair to assume they won't stray far from the 7.7L/100km of the current 110TSI, up to 8.5L/100km for the current 162TSI R-Line.
For those wondering, the difference between the carryover 110 and the new one in Europe, it’s about 0.9L/100km according to overseas figures (with the new 1.5-litre MHEV engine consuming 6.8L/100km).
Even better news is the power boosted 195kW engine has the same fuel consumption as the outgoing 162TSI.
Meanwhile, the 1.5-litre eHybrid (PHEV) version we’ll miss out on has claimed fuel consumption of just 0.5L/100km.
As usual, these turbocharged Volkswagen engines will require a minimum of 95RON premium unleaded fuel.
Ssangyong Tivoli7/10
With the petrol engine, fuel consumption is claimed as 6.6L/100km (combined) for the manual and 7.2L/100km for the auto.
With the turbo-diesel engine, it’s claimed as 5.5L/100km (in the 2WD auto) and 5.9L/100km in the AWD auto. After a short, fast blast in the top-spec Ultimate, we were seeing 7.6L/100km on the dash.
Driving
Volkswagen Tiguan
The Tiguan has always been a stand-out drive in the segment (which VW says underpins the high-spec R-Line version's popularity in Australia) and the improvements for this new-generation car lean even further into its on-road prowess.
Significant revisions as part of the new Tiguan’s upgraded MQB Evo platform include improved chassis rigidity and all-new suspension, which has an immediate and obvious effect as soon as you hop behind the wheel.
We were able to sample a 1.5-litre MHEV (an engine we won’t get, but in a trim level indicative of 'our' base car) as well as a 2.0-litre 150TDI diesel all-wheel drive (as a stand-in for the not-yet-in production 195TSI model) and both stand well above the segment in terms of handling and straight-up fun (at least for a mid-size SUV).
Don’t expect the kind of doughy ride and compliant steering of rivals, instead prepare yourself for what feels like a scaled-up Golf.
The third-generation Tiguan is defined by accurate, engaging steering, punchy and reactive engines, a sandpapered-smooth response from the dual-clutch transmissions, even at low speed, and (particularly for the front-wheel drive) an SUV which feels light on its feet.
This all makes for a mid-size SUV which, if anything, encourages you to push harder on a bit of curvy tarmac. Sure it doesn’t have the nearly EV-like smoothness of its hybrid rivals, but this is supplanted by serious fun to be had, which is extremely rare for this segment.
In our experience, the new ride is springy and reactive, although it was hard to gauge how the new Tiguan might feel in Australia due the high quality of German roads which don’t have the imperfections which riddle the surface of Australian tarmac.
It does feel a bit more locked down, but the previous Tiguan had an outstanding ride considering its more sporty intent, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see this continue.
Both turbo engine options roar to life when pushed with a pleasing tone, and as usual the dual-clutch autos are lightning fast at shifting and provide a lot more feedback and engagement compared to the usual dull CVT popular on rival mid-sizers.
The one thing which takes away from the experience is the need to interact with the climate controls via touch interface, a bit annoying and potentially distracting on the go.
On the flip side, the active safety equipment (particularly lane keep assist) is thankfully not anywhere near as overbearing as it is in some of this car’s rivals, solidifying the Tiguan’s position as a robust option for a keen driver.
Ssangyong Tivoli7/10
The Tivoli isn’t going to set any hearts a-thumping as it feels a bit underpowered and it’s not an electrifying drive, but it’s good enough.
Steering offers three modes - Normal, Comfort and Sport – but none of them are particularly precise and we experienced noticeable under-steering on the twisting routes, bitumen and gravel, that we took.
The suspension set-up – coil springs and MacPherson struts at the front, and a multi-link coil rear – over a 2600mm wheelbase, yields a mostly settled ride, keeping the 1480kg Ultimate steady and composed when not pushed too hard. The 16-inch tyres offer up adequate traction on bitumen and gravel.
It is rather quiet inside the Tivoli though, testament to SsangYong’s hard work in keeping NVH levels civilised.
The Tivoli Ultimate is technically an AWD and, yep, it has a centre diff lock but, get this straight, it is not an off-roader. Sure, it can, at a stretch, traverse gravel roads and formed trails with no obstacles (in dry weather only), and it might be able to get through very shallow water crossings without damage or stress, but with its 167mm ground clearance, approach angle of 20.8 degrees, 28.0-degree departure angle, and 18.7-degree ramp angle, I’d be reluctant to test its off-road limits in any way.
And all of that’s perfectly fine because the Tivoli is not intended as a serious off-roader, no matter what any salesperson might tell you. Be happy driving it in the city and around town – and perhaps on the occasional short stretch along someone’s gravel drive-away – but avoid anything more challenging than that.
The Tivoli AWD’s towing capacity is 500kg (unbraked) and 1500kg (braked). It’s 1000kg (braked) in the 2WD.
Safety
Volkswagen Tiguan
The new-generation Tiguan was recently awarded a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and has significantly increased its array of equipment.
Even the base Tiguan in Europe gets auto emergency braking with vulnerable user protection, lane keep assist, and blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert.
There is also now front cross-traffic alert, a more thorough driver attention monitoring system, traffic sign recognition, and a safe exit warning system, alongside the usual array of stability, traction, and brake aids.
Airbag coverage has also been expanded to include a centre airbag up front, and full side airbags to join the usual curtain set.
Tune back in when the Tiguan launches in Australia to see if its maximum European rating carries across to ANCAP.
Ssangyong Tivoli6/10
The Tivoli does not have an ANCAP rating because it has not been tested here yet.
Every Tivoli has seven airbags including front, side and curtain airbags plus a driver's knee airbag, reversing camera, rear parking sensors, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning (FCW), lane-departure warning (LDW), lane-keep assist (LKA) and high-beam assist (HBA).
Ownership
Volkswagen Tiguan
As of right now, Volkswagen offers a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty with a year of roadside assist, and it would be a shock not to see the usual three- or five-year pre-paid service packages when it launches in Australia.
On the current car, these amount to about $580 annually (for a 2.0-litre 162TSI R-Line) which is on the premium end for the mainstream SUV segment.
Expect the same service interval as the current car, too, set at 12 months or 15,000km. Check back at local launch time for full details.
Ssangyong Tivoli8/10
Every model in the SsangYong Australia range comes with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, seven years’ roadside assistance and a seven-year, service-price plan.
Servicing intervals are 12 months/20,000km, but pricing was not available at time of writing.