Best Small SUV 2021: Comfort and convenience
Packaging, attention to detail, surprise and delight, the ahh factor… can make all the difference. Trouble is, not every model gets it rightDelivering the right equipment that buyers want at the right price is the measure of success for a car company’s product planning team. Small SUVs are no different and with most of the vehicles on test here being the highest-spec variants available, there are plenty of features on offer. So which ones can you expect in a small SUV and which of the models in our mega-test offer the best bonus comfort and convenience items?
If you’ve not been in the new-car market for a few years, you’ll be surprised to learn just how many comfort and convenience features now come standard in the modern small SUV.
As ever in the car industry, what start as premium luxury car features soon trickle down to become the norm in even the most basic car.
All of the 12 small SUVs in our mega-test are nominally five-seaters, each wrapped in a typical five-door SUV wagon configuration.
The reality is none here have a back seat that’ll accommodate two, let alone three, lanky adults comfortably for a long interstate haul.
Boot capacity with the back seat up ranges from 264 litres in the Mazda CX-3 to 455L in the Volkswagen T-Roc. The Volkswagen T-Cross also can take 455L, but that’s with its sliding back seat all the way forward – with the seat set back, the T-Roc’s boot capacity reduces to 385L.
None of these small SUVs are the price leaders of their respective model line, reflecting the private buyer’s desire for plenty of spec sizzle for up to a $40K spend. All the SUVs on test here are either at, or close to, the top-spec level of their model lines up to our $40K cap.
Expect to pay around $500-$750 for non-standard metallic or two-tone paint on all of them, except for the combination of non-standard paint and two-tone treatment on the Toyota Yaris Cross ($950) and Skoda Kamiq’s Velvet Red option, which is $1100.
The Kia Stonic’s two-tone paint option come at no cost over standard paint, but with the two-tone option you don’t get a sunroof.
All models on test have keyless entry/start, auto-on wipers/headlights, auto high-beam and alloy wheels – either 17-inch or 18-inch (except 19-inch on the Nissan QASHQAI) and a steel temporary or space-saver spare wheel.
If you plan to load up your small SUV, then fitted roof rails make the exercise less costly (needing just cross bars added rather than complete roof racks) and potentially give a more integrated appearance.
All but the Ford Puma, the two Mazdas (CX-3 and the new CX-30) and two Toyotas (Yaris Cross and C-HR) have them as standard equipment.
Rear privacy glass is good for keeping prying eyes from your belongings in the back and keeps the UV at bay, but the Mazdas, the MG ZST and the Volkswagen T-Cross and T-Roc miss out on this feature as standard.
A sunroof might not appeal to everyone, but it’s a useful addition for many owners and gives a vehicle a more premium feel. All but the Ford, Mazda CX-30, the two Toyotas and two Volkswagens have a glass sunroof as standard. The Hyundai Kona and Kia Stonic miss out on the glass roof if optional two-tone paint is selected.
All have climate-control air-conditioning, but the Ford, Hyundai, Kia, MG and Toyota Yaris Cross are single-zone as opposed to dual-zone in the others. Those who regularly have occupants seated in the back will appreciate rear air-vents – which are only fitted to the CX-30, Skoda Kamiq and the VW T-Roc.
Only the Kamiq, T-Cross and T-Roc miss out on leather seat trim, offering cloth upholstery instead; the rest are either partial or full synthetic leather – or the real deal. The QASHQAI is the plushest, boasting premium Nappa leather accents.
Heated front seats are standard for all but the Ford, Kia, Skoda and the two Volkswagens. The Kona and CX-30 benefit from a heated steering wheel missing on the others.
Only the Kia, Skoda and the two Volkswagens miss out on powered driver’s seat adjustment, while of the rest just the Ford, Hyundai and Nissan also have powered passenger seat adjustment.
All but the MG ZST have rake and reach steering adjustment (the MG has rake only).
A head-up display had long been a luxury car item, but here the Kona, CX-3, CX-30, QASHQAI and Yaris Cross have this beneficial feature.
Only the Kona scores front seat cooling and heated rear outboard seats.
Active cruise control can take the bite out of a long freeway commute and all but the Ford and Kia come with this as standard. Park assist is standard on the Nissan, Skoda and the two Volkswagens.
Just the Puma and Yaris Cross have the luggage or grocery loading relief offered by a hands-free powered tailgate.
The Toyota Yaris Cross has the unique feature of emergency SOS call and stolen vehicle tracking with its standard embedded SIM.
Only the Mazda CX-30 and Skoda Kamiq have auto-dimming side mirrors, although the Skoda only has this on the driver’s side.
If you want to start your SUV remotely, only Ford (though the FordPass Connect phone app), Nissan and Hyundai (via the key fob) offer this feature.
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