The 10 cheapest SUVs you can buy: the UK's most affordable SUVs

Version 1.2 Dualjet Mild Hybrid SZ-T | List price £17,949 | Target Price £17,949

The Suzuki Ignis is the cheapest SUV you can buy new in the UK. Coincidentally, it's also one of the smallest SUVs on sale, and yet it still comes with a high driving position and a surprisingly spacious interior. For those who want a little more ruggedness and go-anywhere ability, there's also a four-wheel-drive version.

The model quoted here is the entry-level two-wheel-drive car in SZ-T trim. We think it's the one to go for, because it keeps the price low while giving you plenty of standard equipment. The kit list includes a 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system, sliding rear seats, front electric windows, DAB radio, Bluetooth and air conditioning.

Meanwhile, the 1.2-litre mild hybrid petrol engine has a modest output of 82bhp, but it doesn't feel as though it lacks power. In fact, it's slightly quicker and more responsive than the entry-level engine in the Dacia Duster. Unfortunately, there are some trade offs with the driving experience, such as the vague steering feel and fidgety ride. 

Read our in-depth Suzuki Ignis review

Version 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel Essential | List price £18,295 | Target Price £18,745

The Dacia Duster is excellent value, especially when you consider how it's one of the most spacious cars on this list. In fact, the Duster’s boot is bigger than some larger family SUVs, with 594 litres of space on two-wheel drive versions. That's bigger than what you get in an MG ZS (443 litres) and Toyota Yaris Cross (400 litres).

Despite being large by small SUV standards, the Duster is still pretty cheap to run. That's helped by the fact this Bi-Fuel version can run on both unleaded and liquified petroleum gas (LPG), which should help to lower your running costs if you live near a fuel station that stocks it.

Mind you, it's not all good news; there are compromises in the form of refinement, a cheap-feeling interior and a sparsely equipped entry-level trim. Indeed, Essential only gives you the bare essentials, including a smartphone holder (in place of a touchscreen), rear parking sensors, front electric windows, fixed roof bars and cruise control.

Read our in-depth Dacia Duster review

Version 1.2 Puretech 100 You! | List price £19,720 | Target Price £19,720

Few cars offer as much comfort for the money as the Citroën C4. It comes with Citroën's 'Advanced Comfort Suspension' as standard, which means it gets a soft, but absorbent suspension set-up that does a good job of soaking up lumps and bumps in the road. Refinement is a strong suit, too; wind and road noise are kept nicely in check, which makes the C4 great for motorway driving.

Being a coupé SUV, the C4 isn't the most spacious SUV. The boot, for example, has a capacity of 380 litres, which is less than what you get in a VW Taigo and Nissan Juke. Rear head room is also a bit tight, with the Taigo beating it in this area too. 

The C4 is only available with a 1.2-litre petrol engine, but with three power outputs. In this instance, the cheapest option is the 99bhp version. It's a capable performer (despite what its 10.8-second 0-62mph time suggests) because it has lots of mid-range grunt. If you regularly carry passengers, the 128bhp engine is a better option though.

Read our in-depth Citroën C4 review

Version 1.0 TSI S | List price £19,995 | Target Price £16,245

The Seat Arona makes a great choice if you're looking for a small SUV that's fun to drive. It may be loftier than the Seat Ibiza on which it's based, but it still retains that car's agile handling. The Ford Puma is undoubtedly the cornering king, but the Arona is much cheaper.

In fact, few small SUVs can match for the Arona for driving fun at this price point, plus it's very well equipped. This entry-level SE version comes with digital dials, automatic headlights and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring as standard.

Space is surprisingly good too. There's more leg room in the back than a Hyundai Kona, so a couple of six-footers will fit fine (three abreast will be a squeeze though). The boot is also a good size; we managed to fit five carry-on suitcases below to parcel shelf, which is the same as what a VW Golf can carry.

Read our in-depth Seat Arona review

Version 1.5 K30 | List price £20,530 | Target Price £xxxxxx

The KGM Tivoli used to be called the Ssangyong Tivoli, and despite the new name, it retains its value-for-money ethos. In fact, in entry-level guise, the only direct rival that's cheaper is the Dacia Duster.

It comes with a seven-year, 150,000-mile warranty, which is among the longest on the market, which will appeal further to new-SUV buyers on a budget. The Tivoli is also spacious inside — more so than the Dacia Duster or MG ZS, or even the Ford Puma. In fact, you'll have to dig deep for a Skoda Kamiq to find an SUV with more space.

However, all of those rivals are more comfortable and better to drive, and the Duster is cheaper to buy and more efficient. The entry-level model we're including here is sparsely equipped (although the range-topping K40 is far better in that regard).  

Read our in-depth KGM Tivoli review

Version 1.0T GDi 99 2 | List price £21,265 | Target Price £21,265

The Stonic is Kia's smallest and cheapest SUV, and it's a decent car that comes with a punchy yet efficient 1.0-litre petrol engine. Officially, it'll go from 0-62mph in 10.7 seconds (11.7 seconds if you opt for the automatic gearbox), and although it feels a little weak at low revs, there's a fair amount of shove once you get going.

Rivals (such as the Skoda Kamiq and VW T-Roc) are more comfortable than the Stonic, but it’s actually one of the more agile small SUVs out there. True, it's not as fun as the Seat Arona, but it responds eagerly to steering inputs and it stays upright through corners.

Unfortunately, the Stonic is let down by its practicality; rear seat space is tight and the boot is quite small by small SUV standards. The Arona and Kamiq are better in these areas.

Read our in-depth Kia Stonic review

Version 1.0 TCe 90 Evolution | List price £21,395 | Target Price £21,395

It might be one of the more affordable small SUVs, but the Renault Captur doesn't feel like it. The interior is pleasingly plush in places, with more soft-touch plastic than you get in the Dacia Duster and Seat Arona. Evolution trim is also well equipped; it comes with keyless entry, cruise control, automatic lights and wipers, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

While the entry-level 90bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine is a bit gutless (0-62mph takes 14.3 seconds), it is a good option if you want to keep buying costs down. It's also reasonably efficient.

The Captur is one of the more comfortable small SUVs, with a more supple suspension set-up than the Ford Puma or Nissan Juke. It's also quiet and refined to drive on the motorway for a car at this price point, with minimal wind and road noise intruding the interior.

Read our in-depth Renault Captur review

Version 1.2 Turbo Griffin | List price £21,555 | Target Price £19,990

Vauxhall has been busy revising the trim levels of the Mokka small SUV, so it's now more affordable than before. This is partly because of a recently-introduced entry-level trim, called Griffin, which is actually very well equipped for the money; it comes with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, rear parking sensors and a 7.0 touchscreen infotainment system as standard.

The 99bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine, which you can find in other Stellantis group cars (such as the Citroën C4), is a good match for the Mokka. It provides plenty of power of everyday driving, with 0-62mph taking 10.1sec, as well as cheap running costs (officially it can average 51.3mpg).

On paper the Mokka is competitive, but there are some downsides, most notably in the form of a clunky infotainment system and a small boot. Indeed, the Ford Puma, Seat Arona and Skoda Kamiq are more practical.

Read our in-depth Vauxhall Mokka review

Version 1.5 Hybrid SE | List price £21,995 | Target Price £21,995

MG has launched a new version of the ZS, and like the previous generation, it's very well priced. Indeed, the ZS is one of the cheapest SUVs money can buy – even with the new hybrid engine.

At the time of writing, the ZS is only available as a hybrid (a petrol version will arrive later). This means it gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor that combine to produce 194bhp, while a small 1.8kWh battery means it can travel on electric-only power at low speeds. Performance is pretty spritely, especially compared with the Renault Captur hybrid; it can officially do 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds, as opposed to 10.6 seconds with the Captur.

While official fuel economy is good at 55.4mpg, the Renault Captur and Toyota Yaris Cross hybrids are even more frugal on paper. Indeed, they can average 61.4mpg and 62.8mpg respectively, according to official tests.

Read our in-depth MG ZS review

Version 1.0 T-GDi Advance| List price £22,470 | Target Price £22,480

The Bayon not only sits below the Kona in the Hyundai model range, but you also sit lower in it, because it has a surprisingly low driving position for an SUV. This might put some buyers off, but the Bayon still makes a spacious and comfortable small SUV.

It's also good value; the entry-level Advance version quoted here comes with plenty of kit. It comes with 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system, rear parking sensors, air conditioning, cruise control and automatic headlights as standard. Unfortunately, though, the interior does feel a bit cheap in places; the MG ZS is more plush inside. 

The 1.0-litre engine offers decent performance considering it's the entry-level option. It can do 0-62mph in a respectable 10.7sec, which is quicker than the 90bhp petrol engine in the Renault Captur. 

Read our in-depth Hyundai Bayon review

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