SsangYong Motor, the local unit of Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra, stood firm as the No. 1 best-selling automaker in the compact sport utility vehicle segment last year on the continued popularity of Tivoli, the company announced Wednesday.

A total 55,280 units of the Tivoli SUV were sold here last year, compared to 45,021 units sold in 2015 when the model was launched.

Tivoli marks the first model released after SsangYong’s the merger with Mahindra & Mahindra.

SsangYong Motor underlined design, cost efficiency and safety as factors contributing to the popularity of Tivoli.

“The sophisticated two-tone roof skin alongside refined interior design has attracted a younger generation of drivers,” the company said.

For the first time in the local auto market, SsangYong Motor presented clusters in six different colors-- red, blue, sky blue, yellow, white and black-- for drivers to choose from, along with eight color variants available for the exterior. 

To heighten safety, the 2017 model year Tivoli was the first among compact SUVs to be equipped with a high tech advanced driver assistance system, the company added.

A forward collision vehicle warning system, which alerts the driver and automatically stops the vehicle when it gets too close to the vehicle in front, is also installed, along with a lane departure warning system and advanced emergency braking system.

The price tag of the Tivoli differs by model and starts at an affordable 16.5 million won ($15,400).

Seeking to continue the sales momentum, the 2018 model year Tivoli offers “smart mirroring,” which projects mobile phone activities onto the navigation screen for drivers to conveniently use digital multimedia while driving, the company added.

SsangYong Motor highlighted that its smart mirroring system allows drivers to use mobile applications downloaded to their smartphones without constraint. 

By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)