Best petrol SUVs in 2025

The Peugeot 3008 is striking on the outside and just as eye-catching on the inside, where it’s also very practical. However, it makes it onto this list of the best petrol SUVs thanks to its 1.2-litre PureTech engine, plus the further option of a petrol-fuelled 1.6-litre plug-in hybrid model.

With 136PS, the 1.2 makes the Peugeot feel nippy and the thrummy noise it emits under acceleration gives it bags of character, although it’s actually very quiet at a cruise. Its small size also means it's very economical and you can expect it to return up to 50mpg at a steady pace. It's not the swiftest, though, so you may consider the 195PS 1.6 PHEV if you want punchier performance.

Large infotainment screens – complete with slick animations – dominate the Peugeot’s interior and the dashboard has a pretty sculpted design. Its striking appearance doesn't come at the expense of practicality, though, and the Peugeot has room inside for four adults along with a large boot. 

The Skoda Kodiaq is one of the best petrol SUVs you can buy thanks to its high-tech 1.5-litre engine, which has some mild hybrid assistance. It’s also very nicely built inside, comes with excellent infotainment and is spacious and comfortable, too.

There is also Skoda's 204PS 1.5 iV petrol model that comes with plug-in hybrid tech for more than 70 miles of EV driving range and low CO2 emissions. Skoda offers another 204PS petrol engine, which is a 2.0-litre TSI unit that is only offered with four-wheel drive and a DSG automatic gearbox.

A large and practical interior makes the Kodiaq a great family car – it has space for up to seven people, there are loads of useful storage areas hidden about the cabin and the boot is larger and easy to load. 

The latest Kodiaq is not a massive step on from the Mk1 when it comes to outright space or driving ability, so buying a used Mk1 instead could be a very shrewd purchase that saves you a great deal of money.

The SEAT Arona is a great little SUV, which is why it makes it onto this list of the best petrol SUVs. It’s smart-looking on the outside as well as being spacious and well-built on the inside.

It comes with an excellent range of engines including a 115PS 1.0-litre petrol that is capable of nearly 50mpg. It produces a characterful thrum under acceleration but is quiet when you're cruising and, because it’s turbocharged, it’s even pretty quick. You can also have this engine with a seven-speed auto in place of the six-speed manual gearbox. For even more get up and go, there's a 150PS 1.5-litre TSI petrol that comes with the auto 'box as standard.

Inside, the Arona has a fuss-free layout thanks to a central infotainment screen that is easy to navigate and helps cut down on buttons. The Arona’s not a big SUV, so it’s a testament to its packaging that it has room for four adults and quite a lot of luggage. 

The Audi Q5 is one of the most comfortable SUVs you can buy: its optional air suspension (only offered on the higher trim levels) takes the edge off bumps beautifully and you can specify it with acoustic glass that keeps wind noise at bay. 

You can have it with a 204PS 2.0-litre TFSI engine, which gets the car from 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds and hits 140mph flat out, so it is pretty brisk, as well as more hushed and smoother than the diesel model. It should return more than 30mpg easily - Audi claims up to 39.2mpg for official purposes.

Audis are famed for their cabin quality and the latest Q5’s doesn’t disappoint. Its dashboard feels so solid it could have been cut from stone, and the high-definition infotainment screens are eye-catching. To cap it off, the Q5’s back seats are very spacious and the boot is large and very well designed.

If you’re going to treat yourself to the best petrol SUV then you can’t go wrong with a Range Rover, assuming you have the deep pockets needed to buy and fuel it.

There are a coupe of six-cylinder choices in the shape of the P460e and P550e (previously the P360 and P400), though with a Range Rover many buyers will 'go big or go home' with the BMW-sourced 4.4-litre V8 petrol engines in the P530e or the SV trim only P615e. The numbers in their names roughly equate to the amount of metric horsepower they have , and when those names are P530 and P615, you know there's no shortage of power on tap. And as you'll have guessed, the 'e' denotes mild hybrid assistance for the powertrain.

While these versions on the Range Rover have sports-car-like performance in a straight line, the car is much more of a comfortable cruiser than a corner stormer, just like you'd expect. The suspension glides over bumps and cracks in the road like they’re not there.

The Range Rover’s interior is very posh inside – with wood and leather everywhere you look – and its low glass line makes it feel very airy. Thanks to its boxy body, the Range Rover has space for four adults and its boot is very practical, while there are long wheelbase and seven-seat models for added space and practicality.

While the old Suzuki Vitara (called the Grand Vitara) was a burly off-roader SUV, this one feels light on its feet and impressively agile. It’s interior is well-equipped and spacious, and you can have the Suzuki Vitara fitted with sprightly petrol engines (with either mild or full hybrid assistance).

Called the BoosterJet, this 1.4-litre is turbocharged to give the Suzuki a useful turn of speed when you need it, but doesn’t cost a fortune to run thanks to mild-hybrid technology. The Vitara handles more like a hatchback than a clumsy traditional SUV, so you can have fun on country roads, but it’s easy to drive in town.

Alternatively, you can have the 1.5-litre Full Hybrid, also offered with two- or four-wheel drive options, which is more frugal on fuel but slower off the mark. If you value driving fun more than outright best economy, we'd opt for the 1.4-litre petrol motor.

Inside, you get sporty touches like circular air vents, a three-spoke steering wheel and you can finish the interior with colourful highlights. There’s room inside for four adults and the boot will happily swallow the monthly shop. 

The Ford Puma is one of those rare cars that manages to satisfy both the head and the heart. The rational side of your personality will enjoy the plentiful cabin space with solid build quality and a pleasant finish, plus the spacious boot with its ingenious 'Megabox' feature. This is a large plastic-lined compartment under the boot floor with a drain plug at the bottom: perfect for storing muddy boots, or you can even fill it with ice to keep drinks cold on a day out.

The more frivolous side of you will love the fact that it's a sensational car to drive, with the kind of deftly polished ride-and-handling balance that can only be match by the now-defunct Ford Fiesta (with which the Puma happens to share its mechanicals). It's so good that it shames most cars, regardless of their price.

The Puma is available exclusively with petrol power, with 1.0-litre mild hybrid engines giving 125PS or 155PS, while if you go for the sporty ST version, you can have a 1.0-litre with 170PS and automatic gearbox. Ford did offer the ST with a 200PS 1.5 and manual gearbox, but not any longer and, if you don't mind going for a used car, this is the one we'd take in a heartbeat.

Ferrari's Purosuangue will be the ultimate petrol-fuelled SUV for performance fabs, but if you have to live within your means you can have the next best thing in the form of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which has an engine developed by Ferrari. It’s very sporty for an SUV but it’s also practical enough for family duties.

The Quadrifoglio’s 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine produces 520PS (uprated from 510PS in 2024), which is enough to get it from 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 175mph. Body control in corners is excellent and the Alfa’s quick steering makes it feel very responsive.

Inside, the heavily cowled dials and circular air vents are satisfyingly sporty cues, and you can pay extra for beautiful carbon-backed sports seats that are very supportive. Adults in the back will feel like they have plenty of space and the Quadrifoglio’s boot is also large and practical.

Of course, if the Quadrifoglio is still a bit on the rich side, there's always the 280PS 2.0-litre petrol Alfa Romeo Stelvio that delivers plenty of oomph coupled to decent fuel economy and ownership costs.

The Citroen C3 Aircross has always appealed and this latest generation is one of the best petrol SUVs thanks to its fuel-sipping 1.2-litre PureTech engines that comes with hybrid assistance for the more potent 136PS unit.

You can choose from two 1.2-litre PureTech engines. The 100PS has a manual gearbox, but the 136PS with automatic transmission is our pick because it's quite nippy but also very easy on your wallet. The PureTech engines’ three-cylinder design means they have a characterful thrum under acceleration, but cruise quietly on the motorway. There are also pure electric versions of the latest C3 Aircross.

There’s a lot more to like besides that, though: it has highly customisable looks, so you can choose a model that suits your style, and its spacious interior is equally striking.

Considering its relatively small size, the C3 Aircross has plenty of space inside with room for four adults and a boot that a Labrador will be happy to get settled in. Its cabin is bright and colourful compared to the more sombre interior in other small SUVs. 

The desirability and badge appeal of a Lexus, not to mention this brand's superb reputation for quality, all compressed into a small SUV? That'll be the LBX, and it delivers the full Lexus experience while taking less room on your driveway that the company's other models.

Like so many Lexus models, the LBX comes with hybrid power to help out the 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine. You have a choice of four-wheel drive or front-wheel drive, and we'd stick to the latter as this is not a rufty-tufty off-roader. Go with the two-wheel drive model and 0-62mph takes a steady 9.2 seconds, while 62.8mpg combined economy and 102g/km Co2 emissions are perhaps more appealing figures for anyone with half an eye on the bottom line.

The ride can be a little firm on the motorway, but the Lexus LBX is an ideal city SUV thanks to its nimble manners, higher than a hatch's driving position, and light steering. Rear seat passengers will be fine so long as they are not of the lanky persuasion - kids will be more than happy back there.

Beyond that, the Lexus LBX is nothing but positive news as it looks sharp, goes well, and has an excellent warranty - not that you're likely to put it to the test.