Even at the smallest end of the market, conventional hatchbacks are making way for SUV-styled vehicles – although most of them will never see a road surface more challenging than a gravel driveway, and probably couldn’t cope if they did.
Unlike medium and large cars, we still distinguish between ‘regular’ cars (hatchbacks, basically) and SUVs or crossovers in the small segment. As with larger vehicles, buyers of smaller cars are frequently choosing models that sit higher off the road and have bulkier styling – even if they’re no more practical and no more spacious than an equivalent hatchback.
This year we saw plenty of new entrants in this category. The eligible cars this year were:
Our awards recognise both the best new models launched over the last 12 months and the best overall cars in each category – because newest doesn’t always mean best, as you can see below.
Best new small crossover: Skoda Elroq
Picking up overwhelming reviewer acclaim since its UK arrival at the turn of the year, the Skoda Elroq distills the bits features of its larger Enyaq SUV sibling into a smaller and but more affordable package, catering to those who don’t necessarily need all the space the larger Enyaq offers.
It’s hard not to like the Elroq, simply because of how competent it is. A smart interior packed with clever practical features, good build quality, refined ride and handling balance, a roomy cabin and a competitive battery range – the Elroq is a great all-rounder that ticks every family car box.
A testament to the Skoda Elroq’s class-leading credentials, it is also the winner of The Car Expert’s Car of the Year 2026 award.
Class champions
Although the Skoda Elroq is the top-rated small crossover launched in the last 12 months, that doesn’t mean it immediately moves to the top of the small crossover pile. As of December 2025, another model still carries a higher Expert Rating score.
Class champion, electric: Kia EV3
The champion of our Expert Rating Index small crossover category is the highly-regarded Kia EV3, which received The Car Expert’s Car of The Year award last year.
More than just being another bar-raising new car from Kia, the EV3 shows how electric cars can be objectively superior to fossil-fuel cars in most of the ways that really count. It’s a compact SUV with more cabin and boot space than many larger vehicles.
It’s smooth, quiet, comfortable and refined to drive. It has more than enough battery range for the vast majority of UK driving habits. It throws in plenty of standard kit at a very competitive price. And it’s intelligently designed for family car needs.
Class champion, petrol/diesel/hybrid: Dacia Duster
According to the vast collection of aggregated review scores in our Expert Rating index, the best fossil-fuel-powered small crossover on sale right now is the Dacia Duster.
With sharper styling and more sophisticated technology than the SUV it replaces, UK reviewers agree that the latest-generation Duster is a significant improvement over its predecessor, while retaining its value-for-money credentials.
The budget-end family car is let down by its poor Euro NCAP safety rating and low-rent interior, but it is both practical and comfortable, and the 4×4 version delivers solid off-road performance.
The Car Expert Awards 2026 – all the category winners
