The 2024 AA DRIVEN Car Guide NZ Car of the Year is here, and we have selected the top three finalists for each of the 10 categories, that we will list over the coming three weeks. Today we take a look at the top three finalists in the City SUV category.
Small City SUVs are still a really big deal in NZ, accounting for more than 20 percent of new-vehicle sales thanks to offering Kiwi buyers the desired blend of style, practicality and city-friendly dimensions.
And they’re not just limited to the budget end of the SUV segment either, as premium makers have embraced this segment enthusiastically as well, making it one of the broadest and most competitive segments in New Zealand.
Which is why we yet again have a very diverse trio of finalists for 2024, with mainstream and luxury makers offering up ICE, hybrid and full BEV options.
Jeep Avenger
While Jeep may well be best-known for its large SUVs and uber-capable off-roaders, the fact that it is now a part of the massive Stellantis group has allowed it to leverage European expertise in the city car segment.
The result is the Jeep Avenger, a small BEV that uses the same platform as the Peugeot e208 and e2008, Opel Mokka-e and Citroen eC4. It comes as no surprise that this makes it a superbly capable small city EV with a good range and performance perfectly suited to the urban jungle.
What may come as a surprise, however, is that it is comfortably the best vehicle to use those underpinnings, with its blend of the aforementioned attributes with fantastically Tonka Toy-style looks, fantastic build quality and something comparatively rare in the small EV segment: character.
Lexus LBX
While it may be tempting to write the Lexus LBX off as a blinged up Toyota Yaris Cross, that is doing both it and Lexus a massive disservice, as the company has done a remarkable job of creating a proper luxury SUV on the same platform as the mainstream Toyota.
The interior is everything you would expect from a Lexus costing three times the price and is packed with both luxury touches and cutting-edge technology, all the while offering up the same rock-solid fuel economy as its Toyota hybrid siblings.
Available in 2WD and AWD variants, the LBX range spans a wide number of models, while the pending addition of the hot 202kW Morizo RR adds a different dimension, and shows the advantages of its Toyota underpinnings by using the drivetrain from the awesome GR Yaris.
Toyota C-HR
Toyota’s latest TNG platform is not only a remarkably good structure to build a car on, but it is also incredibly flexible, as exampled by the fact that two of our finalists in this segment alone sit on it.
While the Lexus LBX takes luxury to a new level in the City SUV segment, the newest incarnation of the Toyota C-HR uses the same platform to stretch the very definition of the segment with its excellent quality, striking and distinctive looks and honest-to-goodness driver engagement.
The new C-HR leans ever-closer to Corolla territory by offering a wide range of choices in 2WD and AWD, all powered by Toyota’s excellent 1.8 and 2.0-litre hybrid powertrains.
Not as wild and wacky as its predecessor, yet somehow more striking, the C-HR leans into its angular and sporty styling to great effect. Oh, and that brilliant two-tone paint job on the top-spec models is a must-have option...