With fuel prices remaining stubbornly high, we are all looking to make savings at the pumps. By choosing your new car carefully you will be able to still drive something with the style and practicality of the most economical SUVs but with the price of a small hatchback.
The easiest way of saving on fuel is to switch to a fully electric car such as the Vauxhall Mokka-e, Peugeot e-2008, MG ZS EV or Hyundai Kona. Plug-in hybrids can also offer significant savings if you regularly do shorter journeys and have somewhere to plug in to top up the batteries.
But if you are not quite ready to make the switch, diesel-engined models still offer the best economy, but diesel is usually more expensive to buy – both at the showroom and the pumps. To help you make an informed choice, here are our choices for the most economical SUVs currently on sale. Call your local Eden dealership and we’ll happily help you with our expert advice on which one you should buy.
Whether petrol or diesel, this family-sized crossover offers style and frugality. The 1.5 BlueHDi 100 has an official consumption figure of 73.6mpg while the 1.2 PureTech 100 petrol returned 52.0mpg in the tests. If that’s still not enough, there’s even an all-electric option. Despite the economy, all 2008s are stylish and exciting to drive too.
Suzuki has a long history of combining real SUV ability with affordable running costs, and the latest Vitara is no exception. The 1.4-litre Boosterjet petrol engine uses advanced mild-hybrid technology to harness energy which is usually wasted when braking and feeds it back to give the engine a helping hand as you accelerate. It means the car feels perkier but also helps the economy – the official figure is an average of 52.7mpg.
Vauxhall’s most economical SUV is available with a choice of three powertrains – petrol, diesel or electric – and all offer impressive efficiency together with striking new styling. For the petrol, it’s the 130PS 1.2 Turbo SRi models which offer the best economy, with an average figure of 51.4 mpg posted in the official tests.
The diesel models use a 110PS 1.5-litre engine and the Ultimate trim level is the one which just takes the economy edge with a figure of 62.8mpg.
Hyundai’s advanced engine technology means it can post some impressive fuel economy figures for all of its economical SUVs, including official averages of more than 200mpg for its plug-in hybrid Tucson models. The self-charging hybrid version of the Kona posts an official figure of 57.6mpg, but for the non-hybrid models, it’s the new Bayon which comes out on top, with an average of 53.3mpg.
The Bayon is one of the newest additions to the Hyundai lineup and combines the looks and practicality of an SUV with the efficiency and driving dynamics of a hatchback.
The CX-5 is family-sized, and one of the most economical SUVs and has been hailed by experts as a real driver’s car too, thanks to a chassis developed by the same engineers who created the legendary MX-5 roadster. Those same engineers are also obsessed with efficiency and use Mazda’s famous Skyactiv technology to make sure the engine is frugal with fuel. As a result, this spacious and stylish SUV is able to post an impressive 50.4mpg average in the official tests.