THINK of SsangYong and it conjures up images of cars that are cheap and cheerful, but maybe lacking a little on the quality, technology and general razzmatazz side of things.

But all that is about to change because the Korean company that was saved from near-collapse by Indian giant Mahindra has just launched a compact SUV that will take on the likes of the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur.

And it would seem that the neatly designed five-door, five-seat Tivoli has everything needed to successfully compete in the fiercely competitive compact SUV sector.

There are three feature-rich trim levels ¿ SE, EX and ELX, a choice of Euro 6 compliant petrol or diesel engines, six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, front-wheel-drive or, arriving later in the year, 4x4 models with prices starting from just £12,950 and rising to £19,500.

The Tivoli looks neat, compact, sporty and modern from any angle thanks to its upright stance, sculpted bonnet, sloping roofline, sweeping headlight clusters, body-coloured door handles and mirrors, rear spoiler, tinted windows, additional central brake light, smart alloys and neat use of contrasting chrome trim.

Step inside and those days of cheap plastic and poor quality materials associated with SsangYong are clearly a thing of the past.

The interior is stylish, well-designed, packed with techno treats and features a lovely combination of leather upholstery, soft-touch and gloss black materials and clear and precise instrumentation.

SsangYong in the UK is confident the range-topping ELX models will be the best sellers so I tried out the diesel and petrol variants in that style.

First up was the 1.6-litre 115ps diesel mated to a six-speed manual gearbox priced at £17,250.

This car can reach from 0-62mph in 12.0 seconds and tops out at 109mph. According to official figures it can deliver combined fuel efficiency of 65.7mpg with carbon emissions of 113g/km.

It has to be said this particular model boasted a number of features usually associated with cars costing a whole lot more.

For example, the full leather seats could be heated, there was a leather, flat-bottomed multi-function steering wheel, front fog lights, dual-zone climate control, an electronic tailgate release, LED daytime running lights, a seven-inch colour touchscreen with iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, TomTom navigation, a reversing camera and plenty more besides.

Comfort levels are good with plenty of leg, head and elbow space in the back and the slightly elevated driving position is another bonus factor.

And when it comes to performance, the Tivoli also impressed. Okay, so it¿s not the fastest out of the starting blocks and at times you do have to keep the revs a little high to gain momentum, but that aside it was up to all challenges.

The diesel powertrain was nice and quiet and road surface noise was only picked up when the car was pushed particularly hard.

The steering is precise and the road-holding also good for a car in this class. It can easily cope with busy town centres where the excellent all-round visibility is vital and then is just as comfortable moving alongside faster motorway traffic.

When it comes to practicality the Tivoli is well placed against any competitors too.

The boot has a capacity of 423 litres which can be increased further with the 60:40 split-folding seats dropped flat. Elsewhere there are cup holders, a deep central bin, sunglasses holder, door pockets, a glovebox and elasticated straps in the rear of the seats to keep maps, and water bottles etc from rolling around.

Next up was the 1.6 128ps petrol version with a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission also in ELX trim priced at £17,000.

This model takes 11.0 seconds to reach 62mph from a standing start and tops out at 99mph. It can deliver combined fuel economy of 39.2mpg with emissions of 167g/km.

Once again, the Tivoli impressed. Many of the smaller crossovers really fall down when it comes to automatic gearboxes, but not this one. The acceleration was smooth and responsive and there is no irritating whining sound whatsoever.

In busy traffic it ambled along quietly and then there was ample power on tap to tackle faster country lanes and dual carriageways. For me, this was the pick of the two test cars although it would prove less economical to run.

All Tivoli models boast a comprehensive range of safety specifications and all come complete with a class-leading five-year limitless mileage warranty too making the newcomer a very attractive option in a fiercely competitive segment and certainly one to watch.