Small and rugged: compact crossovers and SUVs for 2018
- Gareth Herincx
- @garethherincx
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Small SUVs are one of the fast-growing sectors in Europe and there’s now no shortage of options.
Whether you go for the Nissan Juke – the car that kicked off the craze in 2010 – or one of the newer entrants, you’re spoilt for choice.
With a raised ride height, crossover looks and a commanding driving position, compact SUVs are often based on the platforms of their supermini siblings, though some are proper 4x4s. Here are 21 small SUVs, all starting at under £20,000…
Nissan Juke
Nissan claims it’s the car that created the small crossover sector when it was launched in 2010. One thing’s for sure – the Juke has been a runaway success. Its funky looks still divide opinion, but with the next generation car due soon, it could soon be a good time to pick up a bargain. Priced from £15,080.
Dacia Duster
Renault’s budget brand has come up trumps with the Duster – chunky, spacious and surprisingly capable, it represents great value because it’s priced from just £9,495. Pay £2,000 more and you get a Duster Access SCe 115 4×4 – an introduction to off-roading for the price of a supermini!
SsangYong Tivoli
Not only is the Tivoli good looking and great value for money, it doesn’t drive too badly either and it comes with a tempting five-year/unlimited-mileage warranty. Also available as a 4×4 and XLV “SUV estate”, it’s priced from £13,300.
Citroen C3 Aircross
The Citroen C3 Aircross is a breath of fresh air and will definitely appeal to those buyers that want to stand out from the crowd. It’s also spacious, well equipped, easy to drive and there’s a good choice of engines. A fun choice, it’s priced from £13,995.
Jeep Renegade
Developed alongside the equally good Fiat 500X, the distinctive Renegade is solidly built, spacious and drives well. Pay a bit more than the entry-level £18,250 and you get Jeep’s legendary off-road capability.
Suzuki Vitara
Sharp looking, easy to drive and well equipped, the Vitara is another competitively priced crossover from Suzuki. Priced from £15,499, it’s available with 4×4 too (Suzuki calls it AllGrip).
Ford Fiesta Active
Here’s one for later in 2018. Hot on the heels of the successful all-new Ford Fiesta will come the Ford Fiesta Active variant. “Active in name, but also in nature”, it will be a small crossover offering a raised ride height and slightly more rugged styling than the regular hatchback.
Suzuki Jimny
The legendary Jimny can still put a big smile on your face. Yes, it’s cheap and cheerful, but it’s also tough and a real mountain goat of a 4×4. The 1.3 SZ3 costs just £12,999.
Mazda CX-3
Mazda’s distinctive compact crossover is classy, fun to drive, well built and practical. The 1.5 SKYACTIV-D 105PS (diesel) Sport Nav is capable of 71mpg with CO2 emissions of just 105g/km. Also available with AWD, it’s priced from £18,695.
Seat Arona
Seat’s new entry in the hotly contested compact crossover sector looks a bit like a baby Ateca, but it’s based on the acclaimed Ibiza supermini, so will definitely be one to watch out for in 2018. Priced from £16,555.
Fiat 500X
Developed alongside the Jeep Renegade, the 500’s big brother is funky, well built, good value and a nice drive. Priced from £15,430, it’s available with an AWD option.
Hyundai Kona
The attractive Hyundai Kona is another new entry in the hotly-contested compact crossover segment. Blessed with Hyundai’s five-year warranty, it’s safe too, having just been awarded the maximum five stars in Euro NCAP crash safety tests. Priced from £16,195.
Vauxhall Mokka X
One of the larger cars in this selection, this jacked-up, rugged version of the popular Mokka certainly looks the part, and it’s well equipped too. Also available as a 4×4, it’s priced from £19,095.
Volkswagen T-Roc
Following on from the success of its bigger brother, the Tiguan, the new T-Roc is stylish, spacious, handles well and comes with a strong choice of engines. It can also be specified with four-wheel drive. Priced from £18,950.
Vauxhall Crossland X
Slightly shorter and narrower than Vauxhall Mokka X, the Crossland X is based on the Peuegot 2008 platform and it’s practical and well equipped. Pleasant to drive, there’s no 4×4 in the range. Priced from £16,555.
Kia Stonic
The new Kia Stonic is an impressive addition to the compact crossover sector and deserves to be on any shortlist. Good looking, generously equipped, well built and easy to drive, it also comes with Kia’s unbeatable seven-year warranty. Priced from £16,295.
Ford EcoSport
Revised for 2018, the Ford EcoSport is much improved with better build quality, refinement and comfort, plus updated technology. Priced from £17,495, the AWD version with the new EcoBlue diesel engine coming in 2018 is especially good.
Peugeot 2008
A stylish rival to the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur, the 2008 crossover is spacious, practical and well built. Priced from £16,495, the 1.6 BlueHDi 120 (diesel) Allure version is particularly economical (76.3mpg). Priced from £16,495.
MG ZS
Starting at just £12,495, the new ZS is already MG Motor UK’s s fastest-selling vehicle. It’s actually closer to the class above (Nissan Qashqai) in terms of size, yet it competes with compacts on price. Oh, and it also comes with a generous seven-year/80,000 miles warranty,
Suzuki Ignis
At first sight you may wonder why this quirky little car from Suzuki features here, but the fact is that it’s a surprisingly spacious urban crossover that’s easy to drive and even available with four-wheel drive. Priced from just £10,999.
Renault Captur
Popular, practical, comfortable and easy to drive, the classy Captur benefited a refresh in 2017 and comes with a four-year/100,000-mile warranty. Priced from £15,615.