Car of the Year: Best small SUV finalists
Three of the best new small SUVs in the country all comes with a long list of pros giving buyers affordable, tech filled and safe options for Aussie drivers.
We don’t need to tell you SUVs are popular. Take a moment in any population centre and you’ll see that many — if not most — new cars are high-riding crossovers with superior outward vision and the promise of adventure.
Our contenders for best city SUV this year are the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Venue and Audi Q3. This isn’t a direct comparison test — we’ve assessed each car on its merits against the Car of the Year criteria, focusing on value for money, performance, design, technology and safety.
Hyundai Venue
The Venue is about to replace the Accent as the most affordable Hyundai in Australia. The standard car can be had for a little less than $20,000 but we’re working with the top-spec Elite version, which costs $25,490 plus on-roads, or a little more than $29,000 drive-away.
That gets you 17-inch alloy wheels, eight-inch touchscreen with reversing camera, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, plus safety gear including autonomous emergency braking, six airbags, lane keep assist and blind spot monitor.
The standard Venue is plain but this Elite model wins attention with sparkling paint the colour of Mountain Dew, along with a cabin that has design touches you might find on expensive sneakers or backpacks, combining light and dark grey tones with acid yellow piping and stitching.
Hyundai says it’s a car for young people, though we can see empty-nesters gravitating to it, as it’s easy to get in and out of.
Smaller than most class alternatives — but roomier than the best-selling Mazda CX-3 — the Venue has a compact boot and cosy cabin.
Hyundai will happily sell you the larger Kona stablemate if you want to spend a little more on one with greater space.
The Venue is also the cheapest car to fuel and service here.
Twin USB points and a 12V outlet keep gadgets charged up. Cost-cutting is evident in hard plastics and the lack of a rear armrest or adjustable rear backrest, as in the Audi and Kia.
The biggest disappointment is under the bonnet — the anaemic 1.6-litre engine produces just 90kW/151Nm. It can sound stressed when asked to work hard and the automatic transmission is slow to react.
Feather-light steering is accompanied by a ride that’s tuned to be firm and responsive rather than doughy and plush.
Audi Q3
Audi approaches the question of compact SUVs from a different angle. At times the best-selling car for the brand, the compact Q3 represents a bite-sized crossover stuffed with clever tech.
You get a 10.25-inch digital driver display with gorgeous high-resolution Google maps, plus a 10.1-inch display in the centre console. Wireless charging, in-car Wifi, satnav and a 360-degree camera are standard in the launch edition version shown here.
The outstanding 15-speaker stereo upgrade costs just $900, and metallic paint is free.
There are USB outlets and air vents in the front and back.
Looking sharp on 19-inch wheels, the Q3 displays attention to detail far exceeding that of regular models and there are premium materials throughout. It rightfully feels a class above the Hyundai and Kia.
But it isn’t cheap. Priced from $52,750 plus on-roads, the Audi costs more than $60,000 drive-away — and that’s a lot of money for a small car.
Customers willing to pay the premium will be drawn to the Q3 by its style, tech and that prestige badge. It’s one of the safest cars in its class, loaded with advanced driver aids, pedestrian and cyclist detection, active cruise control and traffic jam assistance.
Higher ground clearance could come in handy if you ever head off road, though you’ll probably want to wait for the more powerful quattro all-wheel drive due next year.
The Audi may be more expensive than mainstream models but you can feel where the money went. It is much quieter than the others, helped by its more refined 1.4-litre turbo.
The Audi’s auto is the best here, clicking down through the gears when cornering with gusto, and choosing the right ratio in the hills or when cruising.
It has the best seats, powerful brakes and accurate steering. The higher ride height translates to a little extra body roll and a tendency to tip your head from side to side in bumpy sections of road but for the most part it feels polished.
Kia Seltos
The Kia splits the difference between the bargain Hyundai and high-street Audi.
It’s priced in basic form from $25,990 drive-away but we tested the Seltos in slightly higher trim — the mid-spec Sport+ priced from $36,490 drive-away. The standard Seltos has a 2.0-litre non-turbo engine but the higher-grade Sport+ and GT-Line get a 1.6-litre turbo with 130kW/256Nm, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto driving all four wheels.
Rolling on 17-inch alloys, the Seltos features luxury touches such as cloth and faux leather seats, three-zone climate control, smart keys and full-size spare tyre.
Safety kit includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert and lane keeping assistance.
The Kia uses a little more fuel than its rivals and sits between the Hyundai and Audi for service costs. But the seven-year warranty standard on every Kia is a desirable feature for customers, one that should help move the car on when you’re ready to sell.
It has plenty of room in the sculpted rear seats that recline and have a centre armrest but no power outlets.
Clever touches such as a backlit USB ports up front help you connect devices to the impressive 10.25-inch screen that represents the biggest display in the class. As with most new models, the Kia also has Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and satnav.
Eye-catching design touches such as a textured front grille and origami-like 3D speaker grilles also look great.
The Seltos impresses further on the road. The turbo engine feels relaxed, lending effortless performance in most environments. There’s less body roll than the other cars but its steering divided opinions within our team.
Quiet and punchy on the road, the Kia feels far more composed and grown-up than the Venue and almost as polished as the Audi.
The lowdown
The Venue, affordable and modern, will no doubt be a sales success. The Q3 makes a compelling case if money is not an object. The Seltos treads the middle ground, with a taste of premium tech, performance and refinement for budget-minded buyers. We’ll announce the winner of this group when our car of the year finalists are revealed in December.
Kia Seltos vitals
Price: $36,490 drive-away
Warranty/servicing: 7 years/u’ltd km, about $1880 for 5 years
Safety: Not yet rated, 6 airbags, AEB, adaptive cruise, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo, 130kW/256Nm
Thirst: 7.6L/100km
Spare: Full size
Boot: 433L
Audi Q3 vitals
Price: About $60,000 drive-away
Warranty/servicing: 3 years/u’ltd km, $2590 for 5 years
Safety: 5 stars, 6 airbags, AEB, adaptive cruise, lane-keep assist
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cyl turbo, 110kW/250Nm
Thirst: 7.3L/100km
Spare: Space-saver
Boot: 530L
Hyundai Venue vitals
Price: About $29,200 drive-away
Warranty/servicing: 5 years/u’ltd km, $1575 for 5 years
Safety: Not yet rated, 6 airbags, AEB, blind-spot and lane-keep assist, rear cross traffic alert
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl, 90kW/151Nm
Thirst: 7.2L/100km
Spare: Space-saver
Boot: 355L
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