Ssangyong is secretly readying a convertible version of its recently launched Tivoli SUV to go head-to-head with the Range Rover Evoque Convertible, it has been revealed.
According to British car mag, Auto Express, the Korean car-maker has already mocked up full-size clay models to show senior Ssangyong bosses how the Tivoli convertible will look.
Expected to cost around $35,000, the production Tivoli convertible will cost a fraction of the price of its Range Rover opposition, which is priced from $84,440 for the petrol-powered Evoque Si4 SE.
Like the Evoque Convertible, the open-top Tivoli is almost certain to opt for a full-length folding fabric roof, although it’s unlikely to come with a powerful enough engine line-up to match the Brit.
Instead, expect the drop-top SUV to come powered with the same 95kW/160Nm 1.6-litre petrol and 85kW/300Nm 1.6-litre turbo-diesel as the regular Tivoli range.
It was hoped the small budget-priced Tivoli would make it Down Under but the compact SUV’s Australian release now appears more and more unlikely following the Korean car-maker’s importer, Ateco Automotive, failing to agree on a “competitive price” for the Tivoli with Ssangyong.
In the UK, 13 versions of the Tivoli are now available, priced between about $27,000 and $42,000.