The Top 5 Best Small SUVs for Urban Driving

Kia’s recently launched EV3 manages to look mean and purposeful, yet it measures slightly shorter overall than the marque’s own Niro EV. This compact electric city car pinches elements of the much larger EV9 and EV6, condenses them down into a head-turning package and delivers the goods, which in UK Long Range form includes a WLTP range of up to 375 miles on a single charge. Interior roominess is surprisingly generous and there’s 460 litres of boot space, with a further 25 litres in the front storage area. Kia majors on practicality, with seats that split and fold so you can maximise load-lugging abilities. Above all else, it’s easy to drive, with lightweight steering making it very simple to thread through congested urban areas. Plus, it borrows its infotainment system from models higher up in the Kia range, so you get dual 12.3-inch screens — one for the driver display and one for infotainment — alongside a 5.3-inch climate control panel. And the price? Well, UK on-the-road pricing starts from around £32,995, which seems reasonable for all of the above.

The latest generation of Dacia’s Duster sheds the plain, utilitarian looks of yesteryear for something more modern and focused, offering up a smart 10.1-inch touchscreen inside. But fret not, this remains the same fuss-free daily drive that it always has been, and prices start from just under £19,000 in the UK. It is a veritable bargain, yet Dacia has managed to increase interior roominess for both driver and occupants, while delivering up to 517 litres of boot space in front-wheel-drive petrol and hybrid versions. As you would expect, the cabin feels hard-wearing, with many of the surfaces, switches and buttons fashioned from robust plastics, but it is now better designed, more spacious and more comfortable for those in the rear, with ISOFIX points fitted to the outer rear seats. Perhaps most importantly, the Duster is one of the very few on this list that can handle some surprisingly tricky off-road terrain. There’s the option of a proper four-wheel-drive version in TCe 130 4x4 guise, complete with selectable driving modes and hill descent control for the more adventurous.

Previous generations of the Countryman really stretched the term SUV, merely adding some beefed-up body cladding and a slightly raised ride height to Mini’s hatchback formula, but things have changed dramatically. The latest Countryman is the biggest Mini to date, measuring just over 4.4 metres in length, so it no longer requires taller users to shoehorn themselves into its compact cabin, as there’s ample room inside for five people and a noticeably more usable boot. Prices in the UK start from just over £29,000, but modern Minis boast some of the best-appointed interiors in the business, with soft-touch materials and an innovative circular OLED infotainment display that bestows them with bags of character. There is also a broad range of powertrains, from fully electric Countryman SE ALL4 models offering up to 313bhp and a WLTP range of up to 269 miles, to petrol-powered options that develop up to 300bhp in the most potent John Cooper Works version. Of course, it’s possible to start spending serious money on lavishly appointed versions, but even the entry-level Countryman C feels special inside, making it a great option for urban dwellers looking to add a dose of style to their daily drive without breaking the bank.

Skoda has always represented excellent value and the latest Karoq SE Edition crams a generous amount of features into a compact SUV that costs from around £30,000 in the UK. Heated front seats, rear-view parking camera and keyless start all feature on well-specified versions. Thankfully, the Karoq doesn’t scrimp on the engineering that underpins it, as it rides beautifully, delivering a comfortable, smooth and quiet drive, even across scarred UK road surfaces. It is impressively practical inside, too, with up to 521 litres of boot space in standard form, expanding to 1,630 litres with the rear seats folded flat. The 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine that kicks off much of the range offers a healthy blend of performance and efficiency, producing 116hp and proving more than capable in everyday driving situations. But there is also a more powerful 1.5-litre TSI petrol that delivers 150hp in the SportLine model.

The Renault 5 may have stolen the limelight when it launched, lauded for its exceptionally reasonable price, fantastically funky styling and knowing nods to its past, but the longer Renault 4 E-Tech Electric is positioned as the more practical of the two and aimed squarely at buyers who want small SUV versatility with retro flair. UK pricing starts at around £26,000, while a WLTP-certified maximum range of up to 249 miles (52kWh battery version) should prove more than adequate for most weekly commutes, as well as extra-urban forays. Despite the price positioning, Renault has crammed plenty of retro-futuristic touches inside, including comfortable fabric upholstery and a distinctive gear selector, while the infotainment system is based on Google built-in software with voice assistant functionality. It is designed to be fun, distinctive to look at and practical enough inside to carry four adults in comfort. Sure, there are more spacious small SUVs on sale, but very few blend modern EV packaging with nostalgic charm in quite the same way as this reborn Renault.