THE Tivoli has become a huge success for SsangYong in Britain and that is a result of a family-friendly formula which makes the car exceptional value for money.

Now the Tivoli is stretching out with the introduction of a longer model which is even more practical.

The Tivoli XLV possesses a huge boot that's almost twice as big as that of the likes of a Nissan Qashqai and it turns the Korean crossover into a super-size load lugger.

With a capacity of 720 litres it can carry four full-size suitcases with ease or a couple or mountain bikes, not to mention the golf clubs, the family pet and all the associated tranklements.

As such the Tivoli becomes as user-friendly as a large MPV yet costs no more than a high end supermini.

Moreover, just like the standard model which has already established itself as SsangYong's fastest selling model in the UK since going on sale only a few months ago, the Tivoli XLV can be had in four-wheel-drive and with a 1.5-tonne towing limit it's a bargain all-round vehicle for action families.

The Tivoli XLV is priced from £18,250 and is available only in top specification trim with 1.6-litre diesel engines mated to either six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

The autos add £1,000 to the price and the 4x4 costs £1,250 more which overall makes the XLV £1,000 more expensive than the regular top grade Tivoli ELX.

It's keen pricing and SsangYong is determined to make a mark by covering all of its models with a five year, unlimited mileage warranty.

Up front, the XLV is the same as the ELX which sees it fitted with a seven-inch touchscreen, a TomTom sat nav, dual zone air conditioning and a high definition reversing camera as standard equipment.

The difference is all at the rear where the XLV has been extended by almost 10 inches making it 14ft 8ins long - a fraction more than a MINI Clubman or the Qashqai.

The wheelbase on both versions of the Tivoli is the same at 8ft 8ins and the extension has done nothing to upset the Tivoli's looks.

All round the XLV is well proportioned although if used off-road the added length means it is not quite as capable as the shorter version when it comes to tackling angles.

A bonus of the extra overhang is an additional window at the back which has brightened up the cabin and inside the Tivoli XLV feels nicely spacious.

Room all round is good. There's a fold-down armrest in the rear complete with a couple of cup holders, pockets in every door and on the back of the front seats are an array of elasticated straps which is a sensibly practical touch.

Fit and finish are high standard with contrasting coloured trim, leather seats and full Bluetooth connectivity while there's a few electronic surprises such as a hello and goodbye display on the instrument panel at the start and finish of a journey.

There's also a facility to change the background colours of the instruments as well as altering the feel of the steering and throttle for a sporty feel.

On the road the Tivoli XLV has no bad manners, handles predictably and the diesel is nicely economical.

The engine develops 115ps which gives both the manual and the auto models a 0 to 60 time of 12 seconds, although the manual feels livelier through the gears.

Top speed is 106mph for the manual and 108 for the auto and there is nothing laboured about the car at motorway speeds.

SsangYong claims an official fuel return of 62.8mpg with emissions of 117g/km for the manual and 47.9 and 154g/km for the auto while the 4x4 versions are rated at 57.6mpg (127g/km) and 44.8 (164g/km) respectively.

On paper that makes the XLV marginally thirstier than the standard Tivoli but real world figures are quite similar. We averaged more than 50 to the gallon in the front-wheel-drive manual and saw an impressive mid-40s return from both versions of the automatic - such is the effectiveness of the on-demand 4x4 system which engages the rear wheels only when necessary.

Stop/start is fitted to the manual and while there's no petrol alternative in the XLV - which sees the regular Tivoli priced from less than £13,000 - the XLV is right on the money for such a practical model.

In this price bracket the SsangYong Tivoli XLV has to be considered as the family-sized crossover which ticks the most boxes.