Luxury SUVs don't have to be huge, hulking vehicles with massive grilles and V-8 engines. Nearly all of today's luxury automakers offer subcompact SUVs with smaller footprints and more affordable price tags. They all have four-cylinder engines, and some are offered as hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or EVs as well.
These are our favorites among this crop of small, premium crossovers, ranked from best to worst. More SUV Rankings: | | | | | The BMW X1 is the subcompact luxury SUV that defines the meaning of small but mighty. It combines an extroverted design with plenty of technology inside, including a 10-inch digital instrument cluster next to a 10-inch infotainment screen.
The available 312-horsepower M35i model makes this baby Beemer SUV seem like King Kong in a sea of capuchins. The BMW X2 is less practical than its sibling, the X1, but it's more fun-loving with plenty of personality and style. Following the SUV coupe craze, the back end is sloped more dramatically.
This limits the cargo area and rear visibility, but maybe you're into its more distinctive look. It has the same 228-hp xDrive28i and 312-hp M35i versions as the X1. The Volvo XC40 is a diminutive SUV with plenty of presence.
Premium interior materials and distinctive Swedish style give the XC40 an airy feeling in the cabin. The B4 and B5 versions have mild-hybrid engines, and there's also an electric version called the EX40 (previously called XC40 Recharge) that is offered with either rear-wheel-drive single-motor o.