Australian 4WD & SUV Buyer's Guide

Joshua Dowling is the National Motoring Editor at drive.com.au and a World Car of the Year judge. Joshua is renowned for his consumer-first approach and you can also read his regular rants on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling. In this issue, he tests the Haval

The fifth generation of Ford’s top selling Ranger ute is now available, in carryover XL, XLS, XLT and Wildtrak model grades, plus a new Sport variant below Wildtrak. The big news is the availability of a new 184kW/600Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engin

Jeep’s new Grand Cherokee is now arriving in showrooms. Initially available in long wheelbase L specification, with seven seats, the range is powered by a 210kW/344Nm 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine, with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drivetrain.

The new Ranger-based Everest wagon is available in four specification levels: Ambiente, Trend, Sport and Platinum. As with Ranger, Ford had not announced prices as we went to press, so go to carsales.com.au for current drive away deals. Everest can b

The SUV derivative of Porsche’s ballistic Taycan high performance EV is now on sale. Three variants are available. The range opens with the Cross Turismo 4, priced at $176,600. It’s powered by two electric motors – one on each axle – with a combined

When too much truck is never enough, RAM offers its new 2500 and 3500 range. The numbers on these things are absolutely mind boggling. RAM trucks are converted to right hand drive at the old HSV factory in Clayton, Melbourne by American Special Vehic

Alfa’s second SUV, the Tonale slots into the compact luxury field below the Stelvio, where it competes with BMW’s X1, Mercedes’ GLA, Range Rover Evoque and the rest. Tonale takes Alfa into hybrid territory, with two petrol electric variants to be off

BMW has been doing electric vehicles for longer than most, so its eDrive technology, now in its fifth generation, can be expected to deliver and be reliable. Its new iX3, the EV variant of the X3 SUV, is now on sale priced at $114,900. This includes

Lexus has launched its new mid-size NX SUV range, based on the Toyota RAV4, with petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains. Prices for petrol power start at $60,800 for the NX250, with a 152kW 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four cylinder/eight- sp

Honda’s second generation HRV compact SUV is available with petrol and hybrid drivetrains. The base model Vi X, priced at $36,700 drive away, is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four cylinder engine, matched with a CVT transmission driving

The Audi Q2 is one size smaller than Audi’s already-popular Q3, being engineered on the VW Polo/Audi A1 small car platform. The Audi SUV isn’t cheap, with a starting price of $45,200 for the base Q2 35 TFSI. This model has a 110kW 1.5-litre turbochar

The third generation Audi Q3 might be labelled an SUV but as with many of its peers it could easily be described as a high-riding hatchback. It delivers the usual SUV attributes: taller driving position, better vision around the car, and a higher “hi

Audi’s five seater Q8 is based on the seven-seater Q7, but with a sleeker, sharper profile, a coupe roofline, a few dimensional adjustments and whopper 21 inch alloy wheels to give it a sportier stance. The Q8 55TFSi quattro, priced at $135,900, runs

If you need proof the world has gone mad for SUVs, look no further. Bentley’s Bentayga is one of the most extreme and expensive of the breed. The Bentayga is based on the Audi Q7/Q8, with Bentley acquired by Germany’s Volkswagen-Audi Group in 1998. T

The second-generation BMW X1 shares much of its core technology, including its basic structure, with the latest versions of the Mini, a brand that is 100 percent owned by BMW. The range opens with the sDrive 18i, at $47,900. The sDrive18d is $53,900,

More compact yet more costly than the X1, on which it’s based, BMW X2 prices start at $49,900 for the sDrive 18i. This front-wheel-drive X2 runs a 103kW 1.5-litre turbopetrol triple matched with a sevenspeed double-clutch automatic. M Sport specifcia

With the arrival of the thirdgeneration X3/X4, BMW once again has a competitive player in the premium medium-SUV class. The 2022 X3/X4 is a styling update, with the addition of a new plug-in hybrid variant. The X3 range opens at $73,471 with the sDri

Launched in 2008, BMW’s then controversially styled now has a few imitators due to its success. What it loses out to the closely related X5 in space and practicality, the divisive design icon makes up for in attitude and individuality. The cheapest X

BMW’s first full size sevenseat SUV, the X7 starts from $138,900 for the 195kW/620Nm 3.0-litre turbodiesel six 30d, tested here. The 3.0-litre triple turbodiesel M50d, with 294kW and 760Nm, is $184,900, as is the 390kW/750Nm 4.4-litre twin turbopetro

Meet the Chevrolet Silverado, brought to you by Holden Special Vehicles. With the shutdown of Holden, General Motors will now be represented in Australia by a new brand called General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV), which opens up opportunities for

Citroen barely troubles the sales scorers in Australia. For most people it’s just a bit too fringe as somewhere to spend serious money, and a welldeserved reputation, shared with other French brands, for questionable reliability doesn’t help its caus

Demand is so strong for the Ram 1500 that the American Special Vehicles right hand drive conversion assembly line in Melbourne has been operating 24 hours a day, five days a week since June 2019. As this article was published, there was still a three

What we have here is the Ram 1500 DT Series. It went on sale in the US in 2019 but turned up in an official capacity in Australia from mid-2021. This new shape Ram 1500 DT Series is sold alongside the earlier Ram 1500 DS Series (also known as the Ram

The Ford Puma is the smallest SUV in the brand’s line-up. There are three models: Puma (from $30,340), Puma ST-Line ($32,690) and Puma ST-Line V (from $35,890). All three models are powered by the same turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine (wi

GWM’s latest ute, the Cannon, has grown in size to match the proportions of the top-selling Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, and it certainly looks the business in the metal. There are four models in the new GWM double cab ute range: the Cannon 4x2 ($34

After a stalled start more than a decade ago, Chinese car giant Great Wall Motors is beginning to find traction in Australia. The company is now called GWM Haval, with utility vehicles wearing GWM badges and SUVs wearing both GWM and Haval logos. Wha

Chinese car brands are rocketing up the sales charts in Australia buoyed by their attractive design and sharp drive-away prices. One of the most common questions we get asked is “Are they any good?” The answer is not straightforward because not all C

Honda’s CR-V, the world’s top-selling SUV, lost its way for a while but is now back in serious contention with the fifth generation since 1997. Priced from $35,300 drive-away for the Vi front-drive auto, the latest version has expanded its repertoire

Hyundai’s Venue, a small SUV, starts at $21,240 (plus on road costs) for the six-speed manual; a six-speed automatic adds $2020. Powered by a 90kW 1.6-litre petrol four, driving the front wheels, Venue’s standard equipment list includes 15-inch alloy

Genesis is Hyundai’s luxury brand, created in the same way, and for the same reasons, that Lexus was spawned in the early 1990s as Toyota’s upper class moneymaker. Straight from the Lexus textbook, Genesis is aiming to get its new GV70 mid-size SUV o

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson range starts from $34,900 and tops out at $53,400. There are three model grades. The base model is simply called Tucson, and then there is the Tucson Elite and Tucson Highlander. An optional N-Line pack – which adds larger all

There are seven Kona models, starting with the base Kona, priced from $26,900. Active is priced from $28,500, Elite from $31,900 and Highlander from $38,300. These are powered by a 110kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, matched to a CVT auto an

Kona Electric is Hyundai’s first EV. Prices start at $54,500 for the Elite. Highlander is $58,000. These Standard Range models use a 100kW/395Nm electric motor that drives the front wheels, powered by a 39.2kWh battery. Maximum claimed range is 305 k

Hyundai’s Palisade is a monster-sized, US sourced, luxury SUV that represents great value for money if you need a seven or eight seater wagon. Prices kick off at $55,700 for the 217kW 3.8-litre petrol/eight-speed automatic/front wheel drive Palisade;

The Isuzu D-Max (and it’s Mazda BT50 twin) is arguably the safest ute on the road. It’s loaded to the hilt with tech, including lanekeeping, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, speed sign recognition and a centre

The new 2022 Isuzu MU-X is $9000 - $15,000 more expensive than its predecessor. As before, it’s a seven seater wagon based on the D-Max ute. There are three model grades – LS-M, LS-U and LS-T – all powered by a 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre four cylinder tur

Jaguar’s F-Pace’s mostly aluminium body draws on the basic elements of Jaguar’s XE and XF sedans. Size-wise, the F-Pace is something of an in-betweenie. It’s larger than a BMW X3, for example, but not as big as an X5. It’s certainly spacious enough t

It was only five years ago that Jaguar decided it needed a competitor in the premium compact SUV segment, where models including the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Range Rover Evoque were boosting their brands’ sales. Getting the E-Pace to market as quickly as

Jaguar aimed ambitiously high with its I-Pace mid-size luxury SUV. “The target was to create the best electric vehicle on the planet,” says Jaguar technical design director, Wolfgang Ziebart. I-Pace matches the now discontinued Tesla Model X for perf

The Compass is Jeep’s smallest SUV, comparable in size to a VW Tiguan or Hyundai Kona, but smaller than Subaru’s Forester or Toyota’s RAV4. What makes Compass unique – apart from the fact that it’s American – is genuine off the bitumen ability. Nothi

Is Jeep’s first dual-cab ute worth the hype? The JT Gladiator is proudly proclaimed a mongrel – “100 percent Jeep and 100 percent truck” is the tag line – since from the rear seat back, it’s derived from the Dodge RAM 1500. Gladiator is available in

As with the Hyundai Ioniq hatchback from Kia’s sister brand, the Kia Niro is available with a choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or pure electric power. All three power options are available with two levels of equipment: in S or Sport guises. For this

This new-generation Wrangler might look like the old one, but it’s new from the wheels up Importantly for Jeep fans, though, this model retains the indoor/outdoor body configurability unique to Wrangler. The doors can be removed, the roof comes off a

Kia’s smallest SUV, the Stonic, is based on the Rio hatchback. Prices start at $21,990 for the 74kW/133Nm 1.4-litre petrol/six-speed manual Stonic S; the six-speed auto is $22,990. So at base model level Stonic is one of the cheapest SUVs on the mark

Kia’s 2022 Sportage is a twin under the skin with Hyundai’s Tucson. Both are much improved SUVs compared with their predecessors, and have effectively moved up a size too, offering greater interior space. This, plus comprehensive driver assist safety

Kia’s compact Seltos SUV opens at $27,290 for the 110kW 2.0 litre petrol/continuously variable auto/frontwheel drive Seltos S. Seltos Sport is $30,290 and Sport+ is $33,790. All-wheel drive models start at $37,290 drive away for the 130kW 1.6-litre t

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Based on Toyota’s “New Global Architecture” that also underpins the closely related C-HR and Corolla, the Lexus UX (for Urban Explorer) slots in beneath the NX, though it’s really less a pure SUV than a hatch-onstilts, Mercedes GLA-style. Indeed, the

The Lexus RX range opens with the 2.0-litre turbopetrol four-cylinder/six-speed automatic/front-wheel-drive RX300 Luxury priced at $73,013. F Sport is $88,013 and Sports Luxury is $94,713. The RX350, with a 221kW 3.5-litre V6 petrol/eight-speed auto

The base Discovery Sport P200 R-Dynamic, tested here, with a 147kW 2.0-litre turbopetrol/nine-speed automatic/all-wheel drivetrain costs $69,546. That’s a circa $6500 hike from 2020, so the Land Rover has now lost its once considerable value for mone

Until the Levante, no SUV had ever worn the trident badge of Maserati. But you would never guess from the way this weighty Italian drives. Equipped as standard with air springs and variable dampers, the Levante is more agile on a curvy road than a hi

The CX-3 is Mazda’s offering in the hotly contested compact SUV segment. Powered by a 110kW/195Nm 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, the CX-3 is up against more than 20 contenders including Honda’s HRV, Nissan’s Qashqai and the Kia Stonic.

Mazda’s BT50 is no longer a reskinned Ford Ranger. Instead, Mazda has turned to Isuzu and it’s new D-Max. This brings major benefits in reliability, safety and fuel efficiency, but de-Rangering the BT has its downsides, too. Given that most one tonne

Evolution is the name of the game for one of Australia’s most popular SUVs. Starting from $32,190, the front-wheel drive Mazda CX-5 Maxx vies with Subaru’s Forester and Toyota’s RAV4 for safety honours in this class, with autonomous emergency braking

Mazda’s CX-8 SUV slots between the mid-size CX-5 five-seater and family-sized CX-9 seven-seater. There are four model grades: base Sport front-wheel drive from $39,990, Touring from $46,890, GT from $56,390 and the Asaki from $59,790. Standard fare i

Mazda’s CX30 shares architecture, front wheel drivetrains and dash layouts with the 3 sedan and hatch, so you could accurately describe it as a Mazda3 wagon. Prices start at $29,390 for the G20 Pure, with a 114kW 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol

The term “hybrid” now refers to several different drivetrain technologies. Some buyers are not aware of this, and end up with a relatively thirsty car when they were expecting a fuel miser. The Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid runs a petrol engine with an upgrad

As with most SUVs, Mercedes’ GLA is based on a car platform, in this case the A Class, with which it also shares drivetrains and many other components as well. This model is significantly larger than its predecessor, with a much taller body and a hig

Mercedes’ GLB sits in one of those in-between slots on the SUV size scale. It’s a mid-size wagon, but also one of the smaller seven seaters on the market. It goes up against Land Rover’s Discovery Sport, Mazda’s CX8, VW’s Tiguan Allspace and the Skod

Introduced in 2015, Mercedes’ top selling SUV, the GLC, received an overhaul in 2020. A 2.0-litre turbopetrol four powers the base GLC200 wagon (tested here), priced at $78,114 plus on road costs. It produces a respectable 145kW of power and 320Nm of

America has the Jeep Wrangler, Britain has (or, rather, had) the original Land-Rover Defender and Germany has the Mercedes G-Class. Each started life as a military vehicle in war zones but half a century later they’ve been modernised, if that’s the w

With its third generation GLS, Mercedes has turned luxury up a notch – and the vehicle has grown in every dimension to behemoth proportions. It now has one of the largest cabins and cargo holds in the class. The 270kW/500Nm 3.0-litre straight six tur

The mid-size MG ZS EV starts at $46,990 drive-away for the Excite variant. This makes it one of the cheapest EVs in Australia, line-ball with the new BYD Atto3, which starts at $44,381 plus on road costs. However, it’s worth noting that the ZS EV is

It has an MG badge, so even though it’s a mid-sized SUV, it should be on the sporty side, right? Guess again. Now owned by Chinese-State giant SAIC Motor, the MG badge is just that --a badge. There’s no pukka Brit sports car DNA in the HS - not a shr

Mini’s SUV range, powered by BMW drivetrains, opens with the 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol/seven-speed dual clutch automatic/front-wheel-drive Countryman Cooper, priced at $45,000. The 2.0-litre turbopetrol Cooper S is $53,400. The all-wheel d

The Eclipse Cross slots into Mitsubishi’s SUV portfolio between the compact ASX and midsize Outlander. Powered by a 1.5-litre four cylinder turbopetrol/continuously variable transmission (CVT), the range opens with the front-wheel drive ES at $30,990

There are five models in the Outlander line-up – ES, LS, Aspire, Exceed, and Exceed Tourer – with a mix of five-or seven-seats and front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. Prices start at $34,490 for the base ES front-wheel drive five-seater and top out

Nissan’s Juke is a compact SUV, close in size to the class best seller, Mitsubishi’s ASX. All variants are powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol engine with just 85kW of power – most rivals have 100kW or more. It’s matched to a seven-spee

The base Nissan X-Trail ST, at $30,665, is front-wheel drive and uses a 106kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a six-speed manual. The $32,665 ST gains the gutsy 126kW 2.5-litre unit that has served the series since its 2001 inception, with

Nissan’s seven seater Patrol starts at $82,160 for the Ti; the bells and whistles Ti-L is $95,115. Both are powered by a 298kW/560Nm 5.6-litre petrol V8, with a seven speed automatic and dual range 4x4 drivetrain. When you’ve got nearly three tonnes

Most car reviewers head for the driver’s seat when a new model arrives. With the seven-seat Peugeot 5008, however, you’re best to start your test drive at the tailgate. You might be wowed by the dealer opening the rear hatch with a deft swing of thei

Do not adjust your eyes. There is a reason this car looks like a Volvo. It’s called the Polestar 2 and is the offshoot of Chinese-owned Swedish brand Volvo. Polestar 2 is based on the same underpinnings as the Volvo XC40, and is made in China. Its pr

Porsche’s Cayenne — the third generation, launched in mid-2018 — starts at $128,100. The base model runs a 250kW/450Nm 3.0-litre turbopetrol V6, with an eight-speed auto and permanent all-wheel drive, in high range only. A 340kW/700Nm plug-in E-Hybri

Porsche’s Macan range, updated in mid-2021, opens with the 195kW/430Nm 2.0-litre turbopetrol base model at $84,800. The 280kW/520Nm 2.9-litre V6 twin-turbopetrol Macan S is $105,800. The 324kW/550Nm 2.9-litre twin-turbo GTS is $129,800. All variants

If BMW’S X6 initiated the sports-luxury coupe SUV thing, then Land Rover takes the concept to new ground-breaking levels — literally — with the go-anywhere Velar. Squeezed between the compact Evoque and more family-focused Sport, this is only the fou

Peugeot claims the current 3008 “has moved itself above” mainstream SUV rivals such as VW’s Tiguan, Mazda CX5, Subaru’s Forester and Honda’s CRV, but they’re dreaming. Start money --$47,240 for the Allure --is about $10,000 too expensive, as is the $