EVERY REGULAR SMALL SUV RATED

Small SUVs are incredibly popular, but their diversity makes choosing the best one a challenge. Here’s our verdict on every model currently on sale, starting with the petrol, mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions

Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida

Our pick 1.2 Hybrid 136

What Car? rating ✪✪✪✪

List price £28,400 Best price £27,415

Engine 3cyl, 1199cc, turbo, petrol

Gearbox 6-spd automatic

0-62mph 8.9sec

Top speed 128mph

MPG 58.9 CO2 109g/km

The Junior Ibrida is Alfa Romeo’s first small SUV. Ibrida is Italian for hybrid, and a 1.2-litre mild hybrid petrol engine (shared with the Jeep Avenger and Peugeot 2008) provides the power. It delivers fairly gutsy performance and the Junior can move on electric power alone at very low speeds.

The Junior has sharper handling and more communicative steering than the Avenger and 2008, making it fun to drive along a winding road, without sacrificing ride comfort. Some rivals are roomier and smarter inside, but few of them are expected to be worth as much when you come to sell.

Audi Q2

Our pick 35 TFSI Sport

What Car? rating ✪✪✪✪

List price £31,575

Best price £31,575

Engine 4cyl,1498cc, turbo, petrol

Gearbox 6-spd manual

0-62mph 8.6sec

Top speed 135mph

MPG 48.7 CO2 132g/km

The Q2 is a good choice for keen drivers; this model’s 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine feels far keener than the equivalent unit in the Ford Puma. Plus, there’s very little body lean through corners, and the steering is pleasingly weighty and accurate.

Elsewhere, there’s enough space in the Q2’s rear seats for a couple of six-footers to spread out, and while the Skoda Kamiq has more boot space, a couple of holiday suitcases are unlikely to pose a problem. You’ll pay more to put a Q2 on your driveway than for many small SUV rivals, but it should hold onto its value well.

Despite its upright looks, the Citroën C3 Aircross blends a smooth ride with surprising agility

‘The C3 Aircross is one of the few small SUVs with a seven-seat option’

Citroën C3 Aircross

Our pick Hybrid 136 Plus

What Car? rating ✪✪✪✪

List price £24,565

Best price £23,083

Engine 3cyl, 1199cc, turbo, petrol

Gearbox 6-spd automatic

0-62mph 10.1sec

Top speed 125mph

MPG 57.4 CO2 121g/km

Tight on parking space and leader of a touring netball team? The C3 Aircross was made for you. It’s a tidy handler with a very smooth ride, and it’s one of only two small SUVs that seat up to seven; the other is the closely related and similar-priced Vauxhall Frontera.

In truth, though, while the C3 Aircross can seat four six-footers comfortably enough, things get tight for a fifth passenger of any size. The boot is a decent size for the class, though. The optional sixth and seventh seats add £765 to the price and are rather cramped for adults. Plus, they leave virtually no luggage room when in use.

Citroën C4

Our pick Hybrid 110 You

What Car? rating ✪✪✪

List price £23,095

Best price £23,095

Engine 3cyl, 1199cc, turbo, petrol

Gearbox 6-spd automatic

0-62mph 10.7sec

Top speed 119mph

MPG 62.1 CO2 107g/km

This cross between an SUV, a coupé and a family hatchback costs less than you might think to look at it, especially in our preferred entry-level Hybrid 110 You spec. The C4 prioritises comfort over handling agility; there’s a lot of body lean in corners, but it’s a hushed cruiser and soaks up bumps in the road well.

The mild hybrid petrol engine – which can run on electricity alone for short bursts – offers reasonable performance and good fuel economy. Interior quality is a mixed bag, though, and rivals such as the Volkswagen Taigo coupé SUV are better to drive, as well as being more spacious and practical to live with.

Cupra Ateca

Our pick 2.0 TSI 300 VZ2

What Car? rating ✪✪✪✪

List price £49,530

Best price £49,530

Engine 4cyl, 1984cc, turbo, petrol

Gearbox 7-spd automatic

0-62mph 4.9sec

Top speed 155mph

MPG 31.4 CO2 205g/km

The Cupra Ateca may be getting long in the tooth, but it still offers a good mix of driver appeal and practicality at a fair price. Entry-level 1.5-litre petrol models are merely nippy, but the 2.0-litre engine of the VZ Atecas brings strong acceleration – despite a slightly laggy automatic gearbox.

Neither engine is particularly economical, though; the 1.5-litre version averaged 42.2mpg in official tests and the 2.0-litre managed just 28.5mpg in our own tests. On the plus side, the interior offers plenty of room for all occupants, while the 485-litre boot is bigger than many rivals’.

Dacia Duster

Our pick 1.2 TCe 130 Expression

What Car? rating ✪✪✪✪

List price £21,820

Best price £21,820

Engine 3cyl, 1199cc, turbo, petrol

Gearbox 6-spd manual

0-62mph 9.9sec

Top speed 111mph

MPG 51.4 CO2 123g/km

The Duster is the cheapest new SUV on sale – and you get lots of metal for your money. It’s bigger than any of its price rivals, and it’s spacious and practical as a result. Okay, it’s not the plushest inside, nor much fun to drive, but it still offers a comfortable ride. Plus – if you choose the 4x4 version – it’s capable off road.