In the SsangYong Tivoli 1.6 diesel, you have a car from a rare brand with a rare kind of engine for Singapore

SINGAPORE — Here’s something for someone who prizes uniqueness: a SsangYong Tivoli. Cars from the brand are relatively rare in Singapore; in 2015 just 1-in-788 cars sold here was a SsangYong.

You can add even more exclusivity by opting for the recently-introduced 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine. Diesels have been gaining ground in the country, but they still have plenty of catching up to do. They account for just 1 percent of the private cars on the road.

So in the Tivoli e-XDi160, you have an uncommon car powered by an uncommon engine format.

Of course, rarity isn’t a good reason to buy a car, so it’s just as well that the Tivoli has other things to offer.

It’s roomy inside, and the boot is big enough for three golf bags. The rear seats fold so you can got nuts at Ikea if you like.

Being a small and independent-minded carmaker, SsangYong sprinkles its own ideas around the Tivoli quite a bit — it has memory settings for the climate control, an automated windscreen washer sequence, and a micro-switch on the gearlever for manual gear selection — but the basics of what you want from a small crossover vehicle are there.

The controls are easy to figure out, there’s a (third-party) GPS navigation system, and the seats are comfortable. It also comes without all-wheel drive, which is a sensible thing in our market.

As for the experience behind the wheel, you’ll be able to tell it’s a diesel right away. The engine’s voice says as much, for one thing. On the plus side, it has a turbodiesel’s liveliness in town, allowing the Tivoli to hustle along with considerable urgency.

Though there isn’t a huge amount of grip from the tyres, the SsangYong gets through corners capably enough to produce something of a stalemate: it doesn’t egg you on to go faster, so you don’t push it harder. The crossover format does mean the Tivoli is elevated enough to give you a good view of your surroundings, however.

READ MORE > Another practical crossover to consider – Suzuki’s Vitara

On the move, the petrol version is probably quieter (we haven’t driven it), but the diesel model most likely feels faster in day-to-day conditions.

That said, the diesel model costs $6,000 more than the Tivoli 1.6 petrol. Still, it’ll be cheaper to feed in the long term, and besides, Motorway SsangYong has a lease-to-own scheme that offers a zero downpayment at the moment, with monthly payments stretched over 10 years, so that six grand price difference is unlikely to be felt.

The Tivoli covers other ownership bases, like warranty support (five years) and servicing (free for five years), so even if SsangYong is still an unknown name here, owning one should be fairly painless.

Just because you want to drive something different from everyone else, it doesn’t mean you have to take a gamble.

NEED TO KNOW SsangYong Tivoli 1.6 diesel
Engine 1,597cc, inline-4 turbodiesel
Power 115hp at 3,400 to 4,000rpm
Torque 300Nm at 1,500 to 2,500rpm
Gearbox 6-speed auto
Top Speed 172km/h
0-100km/h 12.7 seconds
Fuel efficiency 5.5L/100km
CO₂ 146g/km
Price $125,888 with COE