The demand for utility vehicles which also offer luxury features is on a rise. Automobile manufacturers who understand the potential of the luxury SUV market have come up with some of their best models in recent years. A perfect blend of utility and luxury is found in compact luxury SUVs for 2018.
BMW X3
The BMW X3 has yet again made it among the top compact SUVs for 2018. The specifications are as follows –
- Power – 180-300 HP
- Seating – 5
- Drive train – AWD, RWD
- Mileage – 19-21 city, 26-28 Hwy
- Cargo space – 27.6 cubic feet with all seats occupied
All of it with a four-year/50,000-mile warranty and the world class BMW service. It comes in three versions with different engines. All you need to do is pick what’s right for you. Its price starts from USD 39,250.
Safety
The car has won a 5-star rating on the IIHS board. Some of the notable safety features are as follows: Rear view camera, park distance control, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic braking, and adaptive cruise control, airbags: front head, rear head, front side and rear side and ABS.
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
Mercedes-Benz provides a perfect amalgamation of power and luxury. The specifications of this power box are as follows-
- Power – 241-362 HP
- Seating – 5
- Drive train – AWD, RWD
- Mileage – 18-22 city, 24-28 Hwy
- Price – Starts from USD 39,150
- Cargo space – 19.4 cubic feet with all seats occupied
The Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class also comes with a four-year/50,000-mile warranty. It has a performance-oriented AMG GLC43 and a GLC300 4 Matic model with a greater power output.
Safety
The GLC-Class is one of the highest rating cars when it comes to safety by IIHS. Some of the features include, airbags: front head, rear head, front side and rear side, ABS, rear view camera, forward collision alert, emergency braking, crosswind assists, driver drowsiness monitoring, and Pre-Safe, which prepares the SUV before an impending collision by rolling up the windows and tightening the seat belt.
Jaguar F-Pace
One of the top 3 compact SUVs according to the U.S. news, Jaguar F-Pace is proving its mettle. Although it is an SUV, Jaguar proudly calls it a sports car. The specifications are as follows-
- Power – 180-380 HP
- Seating – 5
- Drive train – AWD
- Mileage – 18-26 city, 23-33 Hwy
- Cargo space – 33.5 cubic feet with all seats occupied
The F-Pace comes with a with a five-year/60,000-mile warranty and also in following models: Base, Premium, Prestige, R-sport, and S . Its price starts from USD 41,990.
Safety
Although the F-Pace was never tested by the IIHS, it has got its own safety standards which it religiously abides by. The safety features in F-Pace are airbags: front head, rear head, front and rear sides, a rear view camera, driver drowsiness monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross traffic alert, pre-collision braking with pedestrian detection, ABS, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, 360-degree camera, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go traffic assist, park assist, and a system that scans traffic signs, and can automatically adjust your speed, also Intelligent Speed Limiter, a warning system that is especially convenient when you want to ensure you’re not speeding.
Porsche Macan
According to the sources one of the most athletic car on the chart is the Porsche Macan. The specifications are as follows:
- Power – 252-400 HP
- Seating – 5
- Drive train – AWD
- Mileage – 17-20 city, 23-25 Hwy
- Cargo space – 18 cubic feet with all seats occupied
The Macan comes with a basic warranty of four-year/50,000-mile. It also comes in four different models S, Base, GTS, and Turbo – each more powerful than the other. Its price starts from USD 47,800.
Safety
Although the Macan has never been tested by the IIHS, it has got an abundance of safety features like, front and rear parking sensors, airbags: front head, rear head, front and rear side, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control with full stop-start functionality, ABS, lane-keep assist, lane change assist, and a surround-view camera, rear view camera, and dynamic headlights.
Audi Q5
Powerful yet safe the Q5 has earned the Top Safety Pick + rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
- Power – 252-354 HP
- Seating – 5
- Drive train – AWD
- Mileage – 19-23 city, 24-27 Hwy
- Price – starts from USD 40,900
- Cargo space – 26.8 cubic feet with all seats occupied
The Q5 comes with a four-year/50,000-mile limited warranty and a four-year/50,000-mile power train warranty. It comes in five models Q5 Premium, Q5 Premium Plus, Q5 Prestige, and SQ5 Premium Plus, and SQ5 Prestige.
Safety
Some of the notable safety features are Audi Pre Sense Basic and city, ear cross traffic alert, front and rear park assist, a 360-degree camera, and blind spot monitoring, Vehicle Exit Assist, airbags front head, rear head, front side, rear side, and ABS.
The buyer’s of compact SUVs should consider the following points.
- When you are looking for a compact SUV, you should select a design in which the area for cargo and passengers is condensed in a small space.
- Buyers of SUVs are under the impression that they cannot expect much in terms of fuel economy. However, the introduction of fuel efficient SUVs in the market in recent times has made the SUV market much more competitive.
- Large families won’t find these vehicles suitable. Instead, they should go for family haulers like Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, etc.
Compact SUVs prove to be a complete package in terms of passenger space, cargo space, fuel economy, and performance. Incorporating luxury features is not much of a challenge in comparison to delivering an automobile product that delivers performance and also packs in enough space.
Therefore, incorporating the luxury features is subject to the paying capacity of buyers. Thus, the SUV, which scores well in the areas mentioned above should be considered for purchase. There is a lot of competition in the automobile market with different companies offering a variety of features. The ratings or recommendations based on luxury and other comfort features may be interpreted differently by experts in their reviews.
An attempt is made to present the details of best compact luxury SUV models in the market. We hope this serves the purpose.