Best new SUVs arriving in 2017

Think of the Q2 as a logical extension of Audi’s plan to use the A1 to drag new buyers to the brand and you won’t go far wrong. Based on the A3’s platform and starting from $41,100, the Q2, which arrives before the middle of the year, will be dearer than the Q3 upon which it’s largely based.

The Q5 is familiar to Audi buying Aussies as one of the brand’s best performers. It’ll be based on a shortened version of the new-generation MLB platform that also underpins the Q7, and it’ll lob here in both petrol and diesel versions half way through 2017.

The blue oval crowd will continue to flesh out their SUV ranks as the company looks to stem the bleeding from a tough 2016.

First up will be the reborn Escape, formerly known as the Kuga. A price cut, model revision and external freshen-up will hopefully spur some sales for the beleaguered mid-sizer, which sold six times fewer cars than the Mazda CX-5 in 2016. It lobs in February.

Meanwhile, the Everest 4x4 wagon range will expand downwards to include a five-seat-only offering that will also give the Everest a sharper entry price.

Finally, the diminutive EcoSport may make its local debut late in the year, but it’s as yet unconfirmed by local sources.

At long, long last, Holden can unload the ancient Captiva, which has been on sale largely in its current form since 2006. Its replacement will be known as the Equinox, and will be built on top of the same new D2XX platform that can be found under the new Astra.

Oddly, there’s no mention of a seven-seat version of the Korean-built car, which will cruel its chances in the brutally competitive mid-size SUV sector. Expect a 1.5-litre FWD to lead the charge when it lobs later in the year.

The tiny Trax will also get a mild facelift, lobbing into dealers in February. Expect Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ten airbags, keyless entry and more to be added to the diminutive SUV.

It’s the SUV the Korean giant has been missing for some years now; a compact crossover to tackle the likes of the Mazda CX-3. It’s apparently being pieced together with bits from both the i20 and i30, but it won’t be called the ix25.

Timing is uncertain, but it could lob late in 2017, less than two years after the company pressed the ‘full steam ahead’ button on the car.

Designed to sit between the Jeep Cherokee and the Renegade, the Compass should debut down under before Christmas. It’s designed to look like a smaller version of the American company’s Grand Cherokee, which will score a late-life refresh early in 2017.

An off-road orientated diesel-only version known as the Trailhawk is slated to drop into the range halfway through the year.

The US-built Compass, meanwhile, should be offered locally in a number of grades and with at least three engines (two petrol and one diesel). Expect a range-topping Trailhawk model, 1.4-litre and 2.0-litre MultiAir engines and nine-speed autos to figure in the mix.

Mazda rules the SUV roost in Australia, topping the sales charts in the two most popular cateogries of small (CX-3) and medium (CX-5), while its large CX-9 is slaying all comers in the large division.

It’ll be a year of consolidation for the brand, launching the second-generation CX-5 in July or August that’s designed to appeal to its legions of current owners.

Mercedes-Benz took the covers off the updated GLA baby SUV at the recent Detroit motor show, revealing a minor exterior makeover with new engine and driveline options, along with revised suspension ride height settings.

Australia won’t get the new 2.0-litre GLA220 4Matic, which sounds pretty awesome, instead sticking with the GLA180, GLA 250 4Matic, AMG GLA45 and the diesel GLA220d. The updated cars should be here halfway through 2017.

Mitsubishi is set to give its mid-size Outlander PHEV a lift in 2017, with tweaks to the drivetrain and chassis as well as a makeover front and rear. Mitsubishi Australia says the updated PHEV will go on sale in April.

Hamstrung back the lack of SUVs in its stable, Peugeot will come out swinging later in 2017 with the all-new 3008, which feature a host of tech already seen in the excellent 308 (it’s built on the same EMP2 platform, as well).

A digital dash, all new engines and ‘proper’ automatic transmissions (as opposed to CVTs) are on the cards for the 3008, which was revealed in the middle of 2016.

Its smaller 2008 sibling, meanwhile, will launch in February with a 1.2-litre turbocharged engine and six-speed auto upgrade across the board, along with reasonably significant equipment tweaks that will include Apple Carplay and Android Auto via a 7.0-inch screen across the entire line.

The late-blooming XV has turned into a bit of a hot property for Subaru, and with the advent of the all-new Impreza, a fresh version of the perky little crossover is due down under around the middle of the year. 

The covers will come off at the Geneva motor show, and Subaru insiders tell us that the company won’t stray too far from what’s become a winning formula.

Toyota will, at long last, add a compact crossover to its fleet to sit beneath its category-defining RAV4. Called C-HR, it’ll debut down under with a 1.2-litre turbocharged engine, while the best seller is set to use a CVT transmission. A front-wheel-drive version will be available with a manual, while the CVT will be linked to all-wheel-drive.

Expect to see it in February, along with an updated version of the faithful Kluger mid-sizer. It cops an updated V6, revised looks and more gear – and a higher price.

It’s a long shot for a 2017 debut, but it’s a quiet year for VW locally so the third-generation Touareg may make the grade after launching in major markets overseas. 

The largest – and the oldest – SUV in the Aussie stable will be built atop the MLB platform that underpins the Audi Q7, and may actually end up shrinking a little in size.

Which SUV are you most looking foward to in 2017? Tell us what you think in the comments below.