Top 5 Niche SUVs

The Stelvio is Alfa Romeos first-ever SUV and it enters a market at a price-point directly competing against the omnipotent Audi Q5, but despite the Q5’s good looks, you see thousands of them on the roads nowadays and nobody even bats an eyelid anymore. The same cannot be said for the Stelvio. It’s immediately identifiable as an Alfa thanks to the asymmetric front-end and triangular grille, and those looks demand respect from passers-by. Inside the cabin, the Stelvio is as luxurious and dramatic as you would expect from an Alfa Romeo and all of the materials are of the highest quality. There are two 2.2 litre diesel engines to choose from as well as three petrol engines. The most expensive of which is a 2.9-litre V6 ‘Quadrifoglio’ model which pumps out a staggering 510 horsepower, performance which can only be likened to the Audi SQ5. If you’re looking toward the higher end of the market but you want to set yourself apart from the rest of the SUV crowd, you can’t go wrong with the Stelvio which is on sale now with prices starting from £39,620.

Next up is the new Kona from Hyundai which is arguably the most attractively designed Hyundai ever built, yet it doesn’t seem to get the praise it deserves because it comes up against the SEAT Arona and Nissan Juke. These two cars have seemingly stolen the Kona’s limelight and we’re not sure Hyundai are getting a fair deal. The Kona is an advanced B-segment SUV available as petrol, diesel or fully electric. It’s perfectly sized to be a family runabout and its available as both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. Inside the cabin, you’ll find a smart and sophisticated setup with best-in-class technology inside the brain of the dashboard. The boot will swallow 361 litres of luggage or shopping and while it rivals the KIA Stonic we’re confident the Kona is the better vehicle of the two. Did we mention how affordable it is? While it may be a very advanced car, prices start from an agreeable £18,250 and you’ll get a 5-year warranty, 5 annual health checks and Hyundai Roadside assistance included in that too.

It’s fair to say that when the Levante was introduced back in 2016 Maserati was at a real crossroads. Their sportscar and convertible pedigree were only going to generate so much interest from the global market and production numbers weren’t magnificent. They needed the Levante, their first-ever SUV, to turn things around for them - and they may have struck gold. In the 12 months prior to launch, Maserati had only sold about 20,000 cars worldwide. The Levante was then introduced and in it’s first 12 months over 35,000 units were sold worldwide. Ok, those numbers are dwarfed by the likes of Volkswagen’s SUV’s - but these are high-end Maserati’s being sold. The Levante still remains a somewhat niche vehicle though, because the vast majority of sales go to China, so they’re still rare on our British roads even 4 years after release which is why we think they make an exceptional choice for buyers who want to deviate from the rest of the SUV-buying crowd.

It’s not particularly accessible though, as no Maserati has ever been, with a starting price of £64,635

People might claim that went a modern SUV so that they can have a more versatile car that they can take out for adventures in the countryside just as comfortably as they can take it to the supermarket for a big shop while still being cheap to run and own. People are liars, otherwise, everyone will be driving around in the new Fiat Panda Hybrid when it comes out. The Panda is now a modern looking small SUV that just makes a lot of sense. It can comfortably fit 5 adults with a capacious boot thanks to the boxy dimensions. It’s also going to be a very affordable car considering its a hybrid and we also have no doubts that it will be a very cheap car to run. Lastly, there’s no denying that this is the best looking Panda ever. A lot of younger buyers would have previously been put off by the aesthetics of older Panda models but not any more. FIAT looks to have got this bang on the money and we can’t wait to see how the Panda does when it goes on sale.

It’s fair to say that Jeep as a brand hasn’t quite achieved the same success in the UK that they enjoy over in the States and there’s a number of reasons for that, but the quality of their current vehicles certainly isn’t one of them. The pretty new Renegade is a pleasing package for family buyers. It sits nice and high with a hard-wearing but aesthetic interior which is built to survive whatever your children can throw at it. Not many people tend to give the Renegade the attention that it deserves, opting for the likes of the more conventional Ford Kuga or Nissan Qashqai instead, but the Renegade is on sale from just £23,150 and right now Jeep is offering Job Loss Protection deals which allow customers to defer up to 7 monthly payments if they become involuntarily unemployed within the first 12 months of the deal. Now that is the type of promotion that the rest of the market should aspire to emulate as we look to bounce back from the Coronavirus.