Five smart SUVs to drive in 2023

There are many ways to own a new car. You can drop your own hard-earned cash, borrow the money from a bank or credit company or borrow against your equity in property and extend a mortgage.

Or you can choose a novated lease, which can save you thousands and offers a host of conveniences that reduce the hassle of ownership.

A novated lease is essentially an agreement with your employer that allows them to pay monthly instalments over a set period from a combination of your pre- and post-tax salary.

A fully maintained novated lease combines the finance of a vehicle with all the ancillary running costs such as fuel, insurance, registration, and servicing into a bundled payment scheme. It’s a no-fuss solution.

To learn more about novated leasing from Maxxia, check out the Seven Reasons Why You Should Choose a Novated Lease.

If a novated lease is right for you, here are five smart SUVs that work perfectly as work wheels and a family car.

The 2022 Jeep Compass brings a sense of adventure to the compact SUV category.

Available in four model grades – Night Eagle, Limited, S-Limited and Trail Hawk – the Compass has all the hallmarks of a traditional Jeep, from its bold exterior design through to its spacious and well-appointed five-seat cabin and class-leading off-road ability in the range-topping Trail Hawk, which is exclusively powered by a punchy yet efficient 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine.

The other models have a sharper focus on urban driving qualities and are powered by a 2.4-litre petrol four-cylinder engine, with the entry-level Night Eagle in front-drive configuration and a six-speed automatic while the Limited and S-Limited have an advanced all-wheel drive transmission and a more efficient nine-speed automatic gearbox.

All four models feature a comprehensive suite of advanced safety systems, are covered by a five-year, 100,000km warranty and include affordable capped-price servicing plans with scheduled maintenance every 12 months (or 12,000km for petrol models and 20,000km for the diesel Trail Hawk) and lifetime roadside assistance if the vehicle is serviced within the Jeep dealership network.

Get a Jeep Compass Night Eagle 2WD from $278* per week with a Maxxia novated lease.

The 2022 MG HS offers exceptional value for money and is one of only a few mid-size SUVs to offer a plug-in hybrid variant.

The MG HS Plus EV combines a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with an electric motor and a liquid-cooled Lithium-Ion battery pack to deliver 189kW of power and 370Nm of torque, making it the most powerful MG ever. It is also one of the most efficient, with an average fuel consumption figure of 1.7L/100km and the ability to drive up to 63km on electric power alone.

But even the conventional versions of the MG HS have a lot to offer. Available in three model grades – Vibe, Excite and Essence, with the latter offered with a choice of either front-drive 1.5-litre or all-wheel drive 2.0-litre turbo powertrains – each is loaded with a long list of creature comforts and come standard with a high level of semi-autonomous safety features.

On top of all that, the MG HS is covered by a seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and affordable capped-price servicing with roadside assistance for the same duration.

As a further incentive, the MG HS Plus EV is applicable for the Federal Government’s recently introduced Electric Vehicle Discount Policy, which eliminates Fringe Benefits Tax and can save you thousands over the lease period.

Get a MG HS +EV Essence from $237* per week with a Maxxia novated lease.

Nissan has just launched its all-new, fourth-generation X-Trail that promises to bring new levels of quality, flexibility, safety and efficiency to the mid-size SUV segment.

Available in four model grades – ST, ST-L, Ti and Ti-L – all are powered by a carryover 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with the lower ST and ST-L variants offered with either a front-drive or all-wheel drive transmission and the choice of either five- or seven-seat configurations. The higher-grade Ti and Ti-L are exclusively five seaters with all-wheel drive and will also be offered with an optional hybrid powertrain that Nissan calls e-Power from early 2023.

This will feature an electric motor that will power each axle while an ultra-efficient 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder petrol engine is used as an on-board generator to constantly refill the small-capacity lithium-ion battery pack. Nissan claims this delivers the driving sensation of an electric car with better efficiency than a plug-in hybrid while offering the driving range and convenience of a conventional petrol-powered vehicle.

All Nissan X-Trail models are covered by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty as well as roadside assistance and capped-price servicing over the same period. Owners can also choose from a number of pre-paid servicing plans (across three, four or five years) and bundle it into the purchase price.

Get a Nissan X-Trail T33 ST Auto 4x2 from $256* per week with a Maxxia novated lease.

On the outside, the 2022 Skoda Kamiq is smaller than its mid-size SUV rivals, yet it still offers as much interior space as most. It’s a clever attribute that is a signature across all of Skoda models and makes the Kamiq an ideal choice for inner city dwellers.

Skoda also makes it simple to choose the right model, with the three model grades – Style, Monte Carlo and Signature – defined by individual characters.

The entry-level Style, which is exclusively powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo motor, has all the essential features at an affordable price with no extra frills. Meantime, the mid-level Monte Carlo and range-topping Signature feature a more powerful 2.0-litre turbo and sporty or luxurious exterior and interior highlights respectively.

All Skoda Kamiq variants feature an extensive array of advanced driver aids and are covered by a seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and owners can choose from a variety of pre-paid servicing plans.

Get a Skoda Kamiq Style 85TSI DSG Wagon from $241* per week with a Maxxia novated lease.

As one of the original pioneers of the mid-sized SUV segment, the Subaru Forester remains one of the class benchmarks.

With seven model grades on offer – including two flagship Hybrid versions – there’s a Forester to suit every budget.

All variants provide the security of all-wheel drive and are regular versions are powered by a 2.5-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder petrol engine with a continuously variable transmission. The Hybrid models feature a smaller, more efficient 2.0-litre engine with an electric motor that helps reduce fuel consumption.

And every model is equipped with Subaru’s unique Eyesight suite of safety features that uses stereo cameras in the windscreen to provide autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance and more.

All Subaru Forester models are covered by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty with 12 months of roadside assistance and capped price servicing for the duration of the warranty period.

Get a Subaru Forester MY23 2.5i-S AWD from $297* per week with a Maxxia novated lease.