• 1.6 diesel provides the power
• It’s not the quickest, but still punchy
• Choice of drive and gearboxes

There’s even less choice here than the standard Tivoli, with just the one engine – a 1.6-litre diesel. It suits the larger Tivoli XLV well, though, and provides a suitable amount of power.

How does the Tivoli’s diesel engine perform?

You get the same 1.6-litre unit from the standard Tivoli SUV line-up, complete with 115hp and 300Nm of torque. Performance figures are the same across the board (both transmissions and two- and four-wheel drive) with 0-62mph taking 12.0 seconds.

The Tivoli XLV feels quick off the mark and in town it’s sprightly enough. There’s a slight lack of power at low revs before the turbocharger’s boost kicks in, though, and this can catch you out on uphill sections where you’ll have to drop a gear or two.

Gearboxes

The six-speed automatic box is the best solution for this problem as it’s quicker to recognise when a timely downshift is needed and find the right gear than you can with the manual yourself. It does tend to hold onto gears for a bit too long when you’ve got your foot down, though, where the engine is at its noisiest.

If you’re more of a relaxed driver – which makes sense in the XLV – then the auto feels well-suited to the car’s nature.

A six-speed manual ‘box is standard and mimics the light control weights felt elsewhere in the cabin. The gearlever is heavily sprung and positive to use, so there’s no penalty in refinement if sticking with this cheaper option.

• Majors on comfort over handling
• Quite a lot of body roll to contend with
• Grip levels are good, though

Like the Tivoli SUV, the XLV majors on comfort and ease of use, so don’t expect to be entertained behind the wheel in the same way you would in a Mazda CX-3, for example.

There are three steering modes to choose from – Comfort, Normal and Sport – these ramp up the resistance from twirlable to weighty. The first of these makes light work of in-town manoeuvres but for everything else Normal mode will do.

Extra metal over the back wheels means there’s a fair bit of bodyroll, which soon becomes the limiting factor to the amount of speed you can comfortably carry through a corner.

That means grip is rarely an issue, particularly in four-wheel drive cars which hold on to the road with impressive tenacity, however, all-in-all the Tivoli XLV feels much more comfortable at lower speeds.