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The biggest automotive craze of the last ten to twenty years is SUVs and crossovers. This segment emerged when automakers installed permanent roofs on their pickup trucks and added more seats. While an SUV isn't as practical or easy to operate as a pickup truck, it opened up a whole new world of possibilities.
In the late 1990s, BMW introduced itsthe first model of an SUV in the form of X5. Since then, almost every automaker has produced at least one such model, and some have completely abandoned sedans and hatchbacks and now only produce pickup trucks and SUVs. With such an oversaturation of the market and the excess of demand over supply, many manufacturers forgot about the practical aspect of the SUV, which was a comfortable and at the same time durable passing car, in favor of a cheaper and easier to produce machine with increased ground clearance. This is especially noticeable on the example of budget-class crossovers, created on the basis of hatchbacks and MPVs - many of them have only front-wheel drive. This choice of transmission is terrible for the original purpose of the car and completely destroys the main idea of an SUV.
However, this segment of the market is still thriving and shows no signs of slowing down, which means people will continue to buy small, medium and large SUVs for use in cities and towns, as most of them are pretty terrible off-road. We have selected 10 representatives of small crossovers, in which difficulties may arise even during a trip to the village outside the asphalt surface.
Mitsubishi ASX
The ASX model is the smallest crossover SUV of the Japanese brand, which was introduced in 2010. The model is still in production, and the second generation is expected sometime in 2023. Because the first generation was so old, the model went through not one facelift, but four in 12 years.
The ASX might be a good little car, but it's pretty terrible off-road. Most models have only front-wheel drive and are equipped with low-power 4-cylinder engines. Because the ASX shares a platform with the Citroën C4 AirCross, some trims of which are equipped with plug-in all-wheel drive, while the ASX remains front-wheel drive.
Nissan Kicks
The Nissan Kicks is a relatively new addition to the compact crossover segment, arriving on the scene in 2016. The model was introduced to the North American market in 2018 and received a facelift in 2021. The Kicks is built on the same small hatchback platform as the Versa and Micra, with front-wheel drive as the only transmission option.
The Kicks is available with three engine options depending on trim level, including a hybrid. Standard trims include 1.5- and 1.6-liter inline-fours, while the hybrid version includes a 1.2-liter i3 that serves as a generator for the batteries and an electric motor that drives the wheels. That's why Kicks is designed for city driving on the narrow streets of Europe.
Hyundai Kona
Kona is an interesting model with a bit of an identity crisis. Although it is positioned as an SUV, in terms of its capabilities, the Kona is somewhere in the range between a hatchback and a crossover. The original model, presented in 2017, also did not look the best, showing an overly stylized body.
The facelift in 2020 smoothed out all the flaws and significantly improved the design, highlighting Hyundai's new "design language". The Kona, while a pretty good car, isn't exactly suited for dirt roads. Sure, it's available with all-wheel drive, but the ground clearance and capabilities are fine for paved roads and fairly level country roads.
Ford Puma
The Ford Puma name was revived in the 2019 model year as a crossover based on the Fiesta sports coupe. The new Puma shares most components with the Fiesta, including the 1.5-litre Dragon 3 in-line engine used in the Fiesta ST.
Although the Puma is a rather tall car, it is not intended for trips through the woods. It is available only with front-wheel drive and rather large wheels for a crossover. This car is designed to sit high in traffic and provide good visibility from all sides.
Kia Seltos
Seltos is a slightly sportier versionHyundai Creta, only with a much better design. It is powered by most of the same engines as the Creta, i.e. a series 4 turbocharged four-cylinder. European and Australian markets will also get turbodiesel variants.
The Seltos comes with all-wheel drive in lower trims, but none of the turbocharged versions get it via a DCT transmission. Compact crossover with a capacity of 119 hp. doesn't quite look like an off-road beast, does it?
Ford EcoSport
Ford EcoSport is another crossover based on the Ford Fiesta, which is currently in its second generation. Originally introduced in 2003 and facelifted in 2012, the EcoSport is now powered by engines shared by the Fiesta and Focus hatches.
The current version of the Ecosport was introduced to the North American market in 2018 and will currently be powered by either a 1.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost inline-3 or a 2.0-liter inline-4 when equipped with all-wheel drive. The EcoSport is a hugely popular car, but it's not exactly designed to be a crossover, although it does offer more than the others with all-wheel drive.
Honda BR-V
Honda designed this car solely to cash in on the MPV/crossover segment. It's essentially a facelifted version of the Honda Mobilio MPV - much like Toyota did with the Avanza and its facelifted Rush equivalent.
The BR-V was sold from 2016 to 2020, after which it was discontinued due to declining sales, but a second generation model was introduced in 2021 for some markets. The BR-V is equipped with a 1.5-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine that produces only 118 hp. on the front wheels. That doesn't exactly sound like specs for an SUV, does it?
Nissan Juke
The Juke is one of the most controversial cars of the past decade and a half. Mainly because of its appearance. The car itself is quite well designed and practical for the city and city life. The first generation Juke was mostly equipped with 1.6-liter naturally aspirated or turbocharged. The top trim even came with all-wheel drive as standard.
The second-generation Juke is distinguished by a "significantly improved" exterior design. It received not only relatively more powerful engines, but also an all-wheel drive system. The current Juke is only available with a turbocharged 1.0-liter engine with just 115 hp. Compared to the original, this is a pretty serious deterioration, but today's economy norms are merciless for all automakers.
Suzuki Vitara
The current generation Suzuki Vitara is one of the best in the entire model range - except for the features. Although the modern version is distinguished by excellent technology and economical engines, the off-road capabilities of the older models simply cannot be ignored.
Gone are the V6 engines, replaced by in-line 3- and 4-cylinder turbocharged engines and hybrids. The best model will be the turbodiesel version, available only in Europe, with good torque and all-wheel drive.
Toyota Corolla Cross
Corolla Cross is the latest addition to the line of crossovers and raised hatchbacks of the Japanese auto giant. Based on the Corolla sedan platform - also shared with the CH-R and Lexus UX - the North American model has only two trim levels.
The standard version came with front-wheel drive and a 2.0-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine, while the top-of-the-line trim comes with the same engine mated to a hybrid transmission and all-wheel drive. The power of the top Corolla Cross model is as much as 190 hp. Considering that the car weighs more than 1,400 kilograms, this engine may well be underpowered and will experience difficulties when driving on dirt or snowy roads.
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