SUV Reviews

Jaguar's E-Pace has been here almost a year but is yet to really take off with local buyers. Peter Anderson spent a week in Jag's "Cub" to see why we're not beating down dealer's doors.

Australians love their Suzukis with a strange and particular passion, and one of our market favourites, along with the joyous Swift, has long been the Suzuki Vitara. So is the latest and greatest Turbo variant worthy of the adoration, and the name?

The powerhouse X7 M50d is the flagship of BMW’s full-size seven-seat SUV line-up, and is priced at $169,900, plus on-road costs.Powered by a direct-injection, 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder quad turbo-diesel engine producing 294kW/760Nm, drive goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the M50d is claimed to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.4sec.Claimed fuel economy for the X7 M50d on the combined (European ECE - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 7.4L/100km, with 193g/km of CO2 entering the atmosphere in the process.Standard equipment highlights for the M50d include four-zone climate control, leather trim (lots of it), auto adaptive laser headlights (with active high beam control), front and rear fog lights (LED front), soft-close doors, sat nav, 10-speaker audio (with Apple CarPlay, digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and gesture control), keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control, alloy wheels (22-inch), the twin 12.3-inch display and control screens (instruments and media), a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof (with power blind), rain-sensing wipers, leather-trimmed multi-function sports steering wheel, ambient interior lighting, electrically-adjustable front and second-row seats (with memory for the driver), heated front seats, adaptive air suspension (auto self-level), ‘Park Assist Plus’ (parallel and perpendicular), Panoramic View Monitor (3D surround view), reversing camera (with rear parking distance control), and the ‘Comfort Access’ system (foot sweep under the bumper to open the rear door).Also included is a heap of ‘M’ performance equipment including a more powerful engine (obviously), an M aero package, bigger brakes, a tricky differential, sports exhaust, and unique exterior design elements.

The luxury-focused X7 xDrive30d is the entry-point to BMW’s full-size seven-seat SUV line-up, and is priced at $119,900, plus on-road costs.Powered by a direct-injection, 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine producing 195kW/620Nm, drive goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the 30d is claimed to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7.0sec.Claimed fuel economy for the X7 xDrive30d on the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 7.3L/100km, the big Beemer emitting 191g/km of CO2 in the process.Standard equipment highlights for the xDrive30d include four-zone climate control, leather trim (lots of it), auto adaptive LED headlights (with active high beam control), front and rear fog lights (LED front), soft-close doors, sat nav, 10-speaker audio (with Apple CarPlay, digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and gesture control), keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control, alloy wheels (20-inch), the twin 12.3-inch display and control screens (instruments and media), a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof (with power blind), rain-sensing wipers, leather-trimmed multi-function sports steering wheel, ambient interior lighting, electrically-adjustable front and second-row seats (with memory for the driver), heated front seats, adaptive air suspension (auto self-level), ‘Park Assist Plus’ (parallel and perpendicular), Panoramic View Monitor (3D surround view), reversing camera (with rear parking distance control), and the ‘Comfort Access’ system (foot sweep under the bumper to open the rear door).

Just when you thought SUVs couldn't get any bigger or more luxurious BMW lobs in the seven-seat X7. Literally made in America, it's pitched directly at Audi's similarly super-sized Q7 and the Mercedes-Benz GLS.

The Captur is one of Europe's top selling SUVs, but will that translate well in Australia, where the market is so hotly contested and Renault is not such a mainstream brand?

Suzuki's Vitara is a much loved compact SUV, but it's worth thinking about which engine you want under the bonnet?

Who said the Germans were boring? Who said SUVs have to be boring? Well, this is the opposite of boring - the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S is a fire-breathing family hauler, with enormous power, huge torque, insane acceleration and a soundtrack that you'll want to hear over, and over, and over again.

The Mercedes-Benz GLC is the brand's biggest selling model, and the best selling luxury midsize SUV in Australia - so it clearly has a reputation to maintain. And now, after almost four years on sale, the 2019 GLC range has been updated with new tech, a new look and more appeal than ever. Matt Campbell drove it in Germany - on road and off road - to see whether the changes have been significant.

The rugged Rubicon continues as the top trim level of the new JL Wrangler line-up, with the now four-door only model sitting $1000 above the equivalent Overland at $63,950.The Rubicon scores hardcore off-road gear like BF Goodrich mud terrain tyres, shorter 77.2:1low range gearing, front and rear diff locks with stronger axles and a swaybar disconnect system and chunky mud-terrain tyres. It also comes with a winch-ready steel front bumper not seen on the early-build examples pictured here.The Rubicon reverts to cloth seats, but comes with Rubicon bonnet, sturdy rock slider sidesteps, specific 17-inch alloys, black hardtop and wheelarches but retains the Overland’s AEB, bind-spot monitoring, active cruise control, Nine-speaker audio, LED lights, 230V inverter, bigger multimedia screen with sat nav, but adds off-road pages.The Rubicon is the only trim level to offer the option of the new 450Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine. List pricing for the V6 petrol version is $63,950, but the diesel adds a full $5000 to cost $68,950.Official combined fuel consumption is listed at 7.5L/100km for the diesel, and 10.3L/100km for the petrol. These figures are aided by a new eight-speed automatic transmission and the addition of a stop-start system.